No one
by TheAnadalua
Summary: Set in Sly Cooper 2: Band of Thieves. If someone could pretend to be anybody they wished to be, say a teenage opossum, a black cat, an elegant racoon, a charming fox or any other, wouldn't that mean the same as being no one?
1. Episode 0

**Yyyyyeeeaaahhhh,... this might be a little troublesome (for me) in the long run, but I'm doing it anyway. For those following my Shrek fanfic do not fret: I'm not going to abandon it. It's just that I'm into a ridiculous amount of fandoms and since I began writing my first fic that I've felt confident enough to create other fics for other fandoms. **

**The story takes place in the second Sly Cooper game, as I described in the description, so I'm going to include the events it contains and some original side-plots and perspectives. Yes, this is a OC-insert fanfic. And that's all for now, folks!  
**

**I don't own Sly Cooper nor all the other characters from the franchise, they belong to Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. I just own the characters you won't recognize.  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Episode 0**

_That awkward moment_

Cairo.

'_The city of a thousand minarets_'.

'_The Mother of the World_'.

These are just three of the many names the capital of Egypt was given throughout the sands of time. Rich in many years of History, traditions, a unique cuisine and architectural marvels (both ancient and modern), it is no surprise that the exceptional amount of tourists that pass by only seems to keep growing year after year. Even if you are with a lover, your family, friends or other students, one of the places you must visit to truly prove you have been in this mysterious country is, without a doubt, the Museum of Natural History.

Commonly known as the Egyptian Museum because of its location, the great building is home to the most extensive collection of ancient worldwide antiquities and artefacts in existence, including the ones representing 5000 years of Egyptian History. Displaying nearly 160 000 items, with many more hundreds of thousands in its basement storerooms, millions of visitors cross its numerous halls and peek inside the spacious exhibition salons, eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge or a simple spark of curiosity.

Recently though, there has been some disappointment lingering in the air too. Due to the many years the construction has celebrated and the many people that get in and out in a daily basis, some corridors have been interdicted its circulation and some rooms had its entrance covered for maintenance or to have its far too valuable treasures replaced/restored. During the day, the workers try to not make too much noise with their activities (it's still a museum, so silence is naturally required), and, during the night, guards make sure nothing is taken away nor disturbed.

For many weeks, the ordinary reigned inside those strong walls and the inhabitants of Cairo blissfully let the routine take over their lives, since their cultural inheritance was safe inside the maroon unbreakable 'castle'.

Well... not anymore.

In a particular starless night, a long rope fell from the roof near the museum's glass entrance, clearly announcing the presence of an intruder. Doors are too mainstream anyway. The trespasser sliding down the same rope, however, was far from average: a grey male raccoon, whose age should be between the late teens and early 20's, with a fluffy grey and black stripped tail, grey pointy ears, a pair of tawny brown eyes and a black cloth mask over them; he was wearing a blue british underground service hat (_please_, do not question the accuracy on this one), a blue turtleneck lookalike with a yellow collar and sleeves that reach a little past the elbows, blue gloves that turned yellow from the wrists, a red pocket attached to his left thigh, a yellow belt with a black and grey raccoon-head shaped buckle and blue boots that made no sound once they touched the ground.

No pants could be found.

Still confused about the odd raccoon's identity? Maybe his cane can give you a clue.

...

Yes, a _cane_.

Composed by a wooden pole, its golden metal head formed a 'c' that kept shining under the peaceful moonlight.

Oh! You've recognized him?

...

That's correct! It was no other than Sly Cooper, the _master_ thief himself, who was tiptoeing across the museum's lobby with eyes constantly scanning for any sign of trouble. Finding none, he finally picked the binocucom (an apparently harmless pair of blue and yellow binoculars) from his pocket and looked through it, this way activating the original device with a faint beeping sound. Besides the background view of what was beyond the many windows the building owned, the binocucom provided two small screens. The one on the bottom right corner displayed the blue-clad thief from his shoulders up. On the bottom left, however, it showed something different.

Or rather _someone_.

It was a turtle. Clearly male, the serious expression he had on made him appear to be far older than his obvious partner, which could or not be true. Perhaps between the middle 20's and the early 30's. His reptilian (not amphibious, like it's sometimes mistaken for) skin was a shade of olive green and his of-unknown-colour eyes were behind a pair of thick 50's glasses. He had a british-style safari hat and was wearing a dark-blue safety vest with white short sleeves. Other than this nothing else was observable.

"_Breaker Alpha Foxtrot this is the Wizard, do you read me Sitting Duck_?" came as the turtle's nasal and somewhat statistic voice, his seriousness never wavering.

"This is _Peking Duck_, I hear you _Blizzard_." the raccoon playfully replied with an equally straight face.

Albeit a fake one.

"_No Sly, I'm 'the Wizard' and you're 'Sitting Duck'._"

"I read you loud and clear _Lizard_."

"_No I'm..._" he paused when he noticed the mischievous grin and raised furry brow on the mammal. "_... **forget it**, you're not taking this seriously._" the turtle finished revealing his frustration and impatience towards such childish behaviour.

"Yeah, I'm not." Sly bluntly admitted. "Look Bentley, I know this is your first time out in the field but you've got to _loosen up_." he explained in a calm and understanding tone. "If we're going to get those Clockwerk Parts I need you on your toes. So, in _plain_ talk, what's your status?".

After taking a deep breath to ease his nerves the reptilian proceeded "_**Well**, I've established myself in the basement and I'm pretty sure I can rewire the service elevator **if**..._" he emphasised as his partner focused the binocucom on the elevator's closed door. " _...you can power it up from that security station_.".

Security station? Must be the one on the _second_ level by the lobby's left.

The unfazed raccoon, though, simply nodded once he noticed the power switch he had to activate. "Hang tough pal, it might take some time, but I'll figure out a way to get up there." Sly assured before turning the device off and putting it in his pocket. "_Now_, what are the chances that a nice and forgetful worker left his stairs around here?".

For the looks of it, _none_.

While scratching his head a little in thought, he finally noticed the gigantic round prehistoric drum residing on the lobby's center. Finding no traps or whatsoever, he put some pressure on the stretched skin's surface and found himself smiling in satisfaction. It could _totally_ be used as a trampoline. But was he really going to drag the (most likely) heavy thing _all the way_ to the security station's balcony? Of course not!

Sly was going use the _suspended_ and, must remind you, _**enormous** whale_ skeleton as a bridge to his destination.

... No biggie.

"That drum sure _wasn't_ made in China." the mammal joked after jumping on said instrument and landing on the boned structure with enviable grace. Once he crossed its long spine, he took a leap and executed a midair somersault (what a_ show off_) towards the balcony, which was where the raccoon soon found himself silently walking to the elevator's side. Without a guard within sight, he passed his cane to his left hand and pulled the switch down with the other one.

"_Okay, I'll splice the wires..._" resonated the turtle's voice through Sly's earpiece.

**_BZZZTTT!_**

_"OUCH**!**"._

"_Whoa_! Are you alright, Bentley? That _sounded_ like quite the _**shock**_...".

"_Ha. Ha. Ha. Aren't you the comedy genius..._". _**ZAPzapZApzapZaP! **_"_... Just hold on_... _There it is_." the reptilian warned before a screeching-metal noise erupted from the opening elevator door. The ascending box stopped at the desired floor, despite some struggling, and the elegant safety metal bars promptly allowed the solo occupant to exit it. Inside, before a control panel which had its multiple wires torn apart in all directions, stood the turtle in full view: he was a short fellow, barely reaching half of his partner's chest; his shell had a pleasant navy-blue shade and a brown strap went across it along with his front; a pair of brown gloves covered his hands and bandage hid part of his small feet.

...

If he had a weapon? Oh, _yes_ he did.

I was a wooden crossbow already loaded with a unique kind of darts.

...

What? It's _not_ wierd. Specially if it has something to do with Bentley, the _brains_. "Glad to have you join me in this _lovely_ evening. Now, would you be a _sweetheart_ and take care of that gate?" the raccoon pointed with the cane towards his right where the entrance to his next destination was sealed with a gate compose by iron bars and behind it were many lasers, lights and other sorts of security devices.

The reptilian rolled his eyes as a first reaction to Sly's remark. "_Okay, okay_... Let me just hack that security computer." he declared at the same time he tip-toed until stopping in front of the systems fuzzy blue screen. The blue-clad thief patiently waited by his companion side and he did his tech-wise magic. "The spotlights are offline..." Bentley announced as the lights disappeared. "... there goes the lasers' security system..." came the second notice as the red lines slowly faded into nothing. "... _aaannnddd_ we're now working on the security gate.".

**_CHANK!_**

**_TIKTIKTIKTIK!_**

"_Presto_, all clear." the turtle whispered with a content nod.

"Thanks pal, for your first time out you _did_ pretty well." Sly sincerely complimented with a hand on the reptilian's shoulder.

"Oh _shush_!" he exclaimed with an equal smile after playfully brushing off the raccoon's arm. "This operation is _far_ from complete." Bentley continued as he turned back to proceeded with his work. "Now that the lasers and spotlights are offline, Murray should be moving into position for your rendezvous." he briefly paused to give the mammal his attention. "I'll stay here and provide computer support while you go on ahead. If I find something out of place I'll warn you guys _pronto_.".

Sly replied with a mocking salute. "Sir, _yes_, _**sir**_!".

* * *

This... was going far _too_ easy.

Half an hour had quickly flew by as the master thief went through the maze of corridors without a worry (he had already studied the fastest way to reach the Clockwerk Parts), avoided the pig guards as if only a shadow disturbed the air (they had been notified about some _subtle_ changes in the security system) and run along ropes as not a soul batted an eye about it (which should had been impossible since he even run on top of some traffic along the way).

"Something is _wrong_ about this place..." was the raccoon's voiced thought as he scratched his chin in suspicion.

"What about it?" questioned the much bigger and taller partner after he stomped the ground so the rock bird-god bust from the corner of the balcony they were currently at would jump and then land on his hands.

This new companion of his was certainly _another_ piece of work: a chubby, and yet muscular, hot pink male hippopotamus whose age should be around Bentley's if not for the friendly look he had, despite the missing large front tooth, this way giving him a youthful aura. He had a pair of black goggles protecting his light marron eyes, racer-style red gloves, a red mask that only covered the top of his head and the back of his neck, a baby-blue T-shirt and boots, a white scarf and like the other two...

... _no_ pants.

"I just don't get it... There were no guards in the lobby, they didn't react when the museum's own '_head administrator_' made an announcement at..." Sly paused to check on his hidden watch. "... two and a half in the _morning_ about the change in security and... and...".

"...You can't shake off the consuming feeling from your stomach that there's something more to it... something _bad_." Murray, the _brawl_, the last but not least member of the Cooper Gang, completed with his poetic justice.

The master thief's eyes grew wide with surprise.

"_Exactly_! How did you know? Do you feel it too?".

"Why, _of course_! In face of my greatness, one could make the mistake of thinking I am perfect...".

"It's an _understandable_ mistake...".

"...but even I get..._ hmm_... **_preoccupied_** that our missions might go astray and one of you guys might get _hurt_.".

Sly really had to smile to that.

"Thanks, Murray. And I'm pretty sure Bentley feels the same..." he trailed off for a bit to lean on his cane. "It could be just _paranoia_, though. I mean, the administrator could just be one of those _excentric_ rich guys that can't sleep at night without making sure that his public image remains untouched. Thieves don't give much of a help to the cause.".

The hippo nodded in agreement. "Totally! Besides, in my case, it could just be my belly. It has been making funny noises since those _kebab_ we had for dinner." he finished with a hand on his tummy and the other still balancing the bust in the air.

A head shake and a sigh followed. "What did we tell you about going easy on foreign food? You have a strong stomach, but you don't what kind of spic-".

"_Sly, can you hear me_?" erupted from said mammal's earpiece before he put two fingers on it.

"Loud and clear, Bentley. Did something happen?".

There a small moment of silence as if the turtle was trying to find the right words.

"_Well, I hope not... at least not yet... anyway, how are you guys? Is Murray done with his part_?".

**_BANG!_**

**_CRASH!_**

"He just _obliterated_ the last gate I needed to, in case you couldn't tell, so I'm going to play it safe and say '_yes_'".

"**_Right..._**" he commented with an unaffected tone before clearing his throat. "_What I wanted to report to you, though, is about the security in the salon where the Clockwerk Parts are resting_.".

Sly's tail twitched in anxiety.

_"What?_ Is it too strong? Too tight?" he asked more seriously.

Although the gang was only about to complete two years in this line of _business, _his computer genius had yet to come across a system that could survive his hacking skills. Sure, sometimes it took more time to do so and he isn't always 100% efficient (he's still _human_) but other than that...

"_No, it's **worse**... It has already been deactivated_.".

For the second time that night, the raccoon's eyes bugged in surprise which was quickly replaced with a mix of stress and anger. Were they too late? Had someone found out the truth hidden in those parts? Were they planning to rebuild the eternal nightmare he had believed to have defeated not a couple of years ago? No, all their efforts couldn't have gone fruitless. He would _personally_ make sure of that.

His grip tightened around the Cooper cane at the same time he gave a quick look at Murray's then worried features.

**_For all of them._**

"_I'm not sure if they have been taken, Sly. And I'm the self-entitled **pessimist** in this team_." Bentley admitted, giving the impression he was actually reading the young man's troubled thoughts.

One of his furry brows rose as some of the blue-clad thief's distress was replaced with confusion and curiosity. "Is there something else to it that makes you think otherwise?".

"_Yes, there is. I can't afford the time to determine the exact point **when** our target's security was shut_ _down_,..." the reptilian justified with the sound of keys being pressed. "..._ **but** I can tell it wasn't the **only** division of the museum whose security has been tempered_.".

Now, that sure _is_ something.

"The building is full of pieces worth millions of coins in the Black Market, but if someone is after the parts then they also know those antiquities mean nothing in comparison. So what salon or hallway could possibly hold just as much importance?".

"_That's the catch, my friend. It's not a simple exhibition room or corridor. It's the head administrator's **private office**_.".

* * *

Silent.

Empty.

Untouched.

This is how one would describe the museum's own headquarters once they entered there. Then, as they took a walk around the room, they would notice the four pure white walls, the two roman columns by the middle of the division, the polished wooden floor, the typically long egyptian carpet that went from the center to under the administrator's antique Neo-Egyptian French Empire style desk (_no questions_), the enormous red and golden curtained window behind the latter, the two red and golden chairs placed for guests, the Oxford University diploma on the wall by the right, the many photographs of archeological expeditions around the world, the four white marble busts representing an ancient god from different mythologies (Egyptian, Greek, Aztec and Indian), the national flag by the left wall and other things the _average_ office would posses.

_**ZZzZzZzzZ**zZzZzZt_!

_ Ohmygoodness_! What was that noise?... It was _so_ faint it could had been easily taken for a mosquito.

**_ZZzzZzzZz_**_ZZzZzzt_!

There it is again! Did you hear it? It's was coming from... the air vent?

"Good _Lord_... This thing is drier than the Sahara desert." someone whispered at the same time a black gloved hand slowly opened the vent's ornamented lid in a downward motion.

It didn't keep it from producing a small irritating whistle, though.

The hand retracted back to the shadows before a whole body descended from the high improvised entrance, which landed on its feet and gloves with a _very_ soft thud. Getting into a somewhat crouched position, the figure raised its head only to reveal a pair of round white orbs that narrowed in the way normal eyes would. It remained still for a couple of seconds before pacing towards the center of the room. There the moonlight properly illuminated the intruder who then rose to his/her feet, in this fashion standing exposed in all of its _dark_ glory: it was using a simple black leather hooded jacket which went a little past the hip line and whose sleeve-ends were hid by the gloves, black pants that were neither tight nor baggy, black boots reaching a bit over the ankles, black not-see-through goggles and a piece of black fabric that covered both mouth and nose. The only visible biological parts were a pair of (_yet more_) black slightly round ears sticking out from the raised hood and a not-so-fluffy black furred tail.

...

Don't look at me like that.

...

I'm the narrator not the writer so I don't know who this fellow is.

...

I'm telling you the truth! He wasn't even on the script!

"There you are..." the trespasser continued in a low voice as he (the voice sounded male thus this assumption) headed to the right side where one of the marble busts was supported for everyone to see. It stood with its back to one of the columns, which was how the other three marble figures were placed. "Horus, the God of Knowledge... and, _of course_, he was a falcon..." the black body stopped to sigh and shake its head with some annoyance. "Give someone a Ph.D in Ancient History and they think they're the _bloody_ Merlin.".

On top of the emotionless bird's head was sculped a 'u' shaped support for a circular mirror positioned perpendicularly to the ground. Since the bust was facing the mentioned large window, if one put the mirror at the right angle, it would reflect all the light to their face and so resemble the famous Sun Disk of Horus. In full attention for the possibility of an unwanted surprise, the intruder unzipped a third of his jacket and took a folded piece of paper from the inside. After closing it, he unfolded the same piece and read its content before carefully grabbing the upper side of the small mirror.

"Alright,... it's 45 degrees downwards...".

_CLicKcLiCkClIck!_

"... 225 degrees upwards...".

_CLicKcLiCkClIck__cLiCkClIck_!

"... 135 degrees back...".

_CLicKcLiCkClIck__cLiCk_!

"... and, the grand finale, a full 360 degrees spin upwards."

_CLicKcLiCkClIck__cLiCk__CLicKcLiCkClIck__cLiCk_**CLACK**!

That one last sound, unlike the others, didn't come from the unusual mirror. In fact, from the way the uninvited guest's ears twitched, it resonated from behind him, where a secret small door on the desk's front had unlocked on its own.

His tail flickered in excitement and satisfaction.

"Just like in '_National Treasure_'... and I'm loving it.".

With no hesitation of any kind, the dark figure got on one knee in front of the once hidden door and gently opened it completely to reveal an equally hidden dark blue safe.

The white orbs produced from the shadow the hood provided fell in a way that suggested disappointment.

"Really? A _modern_ safe? Of all things?" he stopped with a facepalm. "Mr. _Know-it-all_ owns a TV from the_ freaking_ 60's and yet he uses a _modern **safe**_? The old thing still plays in black and white, _fortheloveofGod_!" finished with a sigh. "Unlucky for him, though, I've come prepared.".

After unzipping his jacket one more time, the trespasser put the piece of paper back inside (trash _could_ still be used for evidence) and took out a metallic circular device by the size of his hand. He placed it on top of the safe's keypad and hold it there with his left hand as he used the other one to press the power bottom placed under the small screen it possessed. The machine came to life before three metallic suction cups emerged from its sides and glued it to the safe's surface.

"_Perfect_. Now it's just 5 minutes of waiting for the DNA particles detector to do his job.".

Patiently staring at the progress bar on the screen and giving the occasional glance at any small noise besides the detector's faint humming, the stated time passed and the device let go a 'beep' while it presented the safe's opening code. Pressing once more the power button, the (now obvious) thief turned it off and placed it back, without resistance, inside his jacket.

Where he finds the space for such things and how he makes it unnoticeable is beyond me.

"Now, the magical numbers: 9-2-5.".

**_CHANCK!_**

The black figure stood with apprehension to the abrupt sound as the safe's handwheel span by itself, this way removing all the locks and pressure from its door. The latter innocently exposed the several different contents which were present inside, ranging from paperwork to a box of rare and (probably) highly expensive ancient jewelry. However, all this was ignored when he went to grab his target, one that happened to be hidden under some letters and documents.

It was a simple CD in a nameless plastic case.

"_Bingo_." he whispered in a dangerous tone at the same time his white orbs narrowed in equal fashion. After opening the plastic case and placing it on the carpet, he summoned a different case that happened to have an identical CD to the one from the safe. As expected, the disks were switched and the plastic compartments were retrieved to their original spots, the thief making sure the papers inside appeared undisturbed. Pleased with his handiwork, he rapidly stood up, took a deep calming breath and placed both hands on the safe's door.

"Let's do this...".

_**BANG!**_

"مهلا! ماذا كان ذلك؟*" was the reaction of one of the guards outside the office to the closing of the safe's door.

_**BANG!**_

"مرة أخرى! انها قادمة من مكتب ! هناك شخص داخل!*" came as the response to the closing of the desk's secret door.

Hearing the growing footsteps towards the room's double wooden doors, the criminal rushed to the Egyptian flag where a small camera was hidden.

_Oooohhhh_, so that's how he found out how to get to the secret safe.

Once he had it inside his jacket, he turned to the air vent and, with a mighty jump, reached its ledge. Hoisting himself up, the intruder got inside, pulled the vent's lid and started screwing back the top with the mini electric screwdriver he had left there.

"دعونا إسقاط الباب!*"

"لا! المدرب ستقتل لنا!*"

"غرامة! ثم فتح الباب، سريعة!*" signaled the rattle of keys tempering with the many locks the door was secured with.

"_Mission accomplished_."

**_BANG!_**

"_SSSTTTOOOOP_!" the dozens of the museum's guards shouted as they entered with a rumble into Mr. Hawkins private office, batons and lanterns pointing in every direction to locate the possible thief. But what was there for the confused security unit to stop? Afterall, there was _no one_ there and everything was in the same way it was left by the head administrator.

Silent.

Empty.

Untouched.

Just like the air vent.

* * *

"This _WASN'T_ part of the _**PLAN**_!".

"_Yeah_, but this is when things get **_FUN_**!"

If by '_fun_' the confident raccoon meant running from one of the best Interpol agents there is to avoid being electrified by her shock pistol, then _sure_.

Bentley and Murray, on the other hand, weren't big fans of it.

But we are going ahead of ourselves, so, for clarification purposes, let's make a brief recap of what led the Cooper Gang to this troublesome, yet (somehow) _humorous_, predicament. With the possibility that the Clockwerk parts had already been taken, Sly had lost no time in getting to where they had last been stored, only to find out their worst fear had bitterly come true.

The parts were gone without a trace.

However, that didn't mean the master thief had been alone in the exhibition room, for the two many-thousands-years-old sarcophagus had suddenly opened and (instead of _mummies_) two female Interpol agents had come out from hiding.

Alright! It's _introductions **time**_!

The first one to go is the lovely red and yellow fox, whose sharp ears' tips were black, owned beautiful navy blue and curly hair which was partly secured by a long braid, a long fuzzy tail, chocolate-brown eyes, thick eyelashes, painted red thin lips, a small nose and a beauty mark under the corner of her left eye. She was wearing blue pants, a black belt, a pair of brown mid-shin combat boots, a blue laceless cropped top with a zipper on the middle, a yellow jacket and gloves, a blue-collar around her neck with a dangling golden Interpol badge and a ring of the same colour on her left ear. Known for going nowhere without her special red and yellow shock pistol, the athletic, yet curvy, Latin woman was the famous Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox, here also labeled as the girlfr-_No,wait..._

Someone scratched this and wrote 'the _Ex_-girlfriend' instead.

...

I hate it when I'm not warned about these _last-minute_ changes on the script.

Anyway, let us go on with the second agent: a bengal tiger with a lavender and purple striped coat, a long thin tail, emerald-green eyes, thick purple lips and a triangular nose. Her black hair and ears were completely covered by a red and yellow ornamented head covering and a golden tiara with a small ruby rested on her forehead. She was also using a light blue cropped top, brown shorts with a blue belt and golden buckle and dirty brown explorer boots. As for weaponry, there was a rope whip on one of her hands and a hunting knife was strapped on top of her left boot. This muscled and exotic Indian beauty was Constable Neyla, the recent partner of Inspector Fox on the stolen parts case.

Sly had had no trouble in recognizing the women, despite the little he knew about the tiger. The fox, however, had left no room for a warm welcome when she had directly accused the raccoon of the robbery that had happened the previous night. Denying with all sincerity, even if the master thief had wished he _had_ been the one taking the parts, was no use, seeing his confession fall in the determined Inspector's deaf ears. Constable Neyla, surprisingly, had shown a different opinion by pointing out the fact that the crime's circumstances were more relatable with a Klaww Gang job. An argument between the two officers had followed, providing the (albeit short) opportunity the young man had needed to get away from there.

And this is how we got to the initial situation.

"You **_can't_** run forever!" Carmelita shouted as she jumped from one side to the other to get better shots, her shower of electrical '_bullets_' never ceasing.

"Doesn't mean we _won't_ try!" Murray shouted back, his tiredness starting to show itself as he struggled to keep up with his short legs.

The chase continued for a little longer before they were able to get some distance from the enraged fox. At that moment, they found themselves in one of those corridors which were getting fixed. Incomplete walls, along with several white covers and scaffoldings to protect everything from the curious turist, were almost everywhere and no artifact or antiquity was within sight. Using the new scenario for their advantage, the blue-clad thief reached an exit door and opened it for the other two. "This is getting a _little_ too hot for you, guys. So I would appreciate if you went ahead and warmed up the van." he mentioned with his head. "I'll keep Carmelita busy. We'll meet up later at the rendezvous point.".

They both nodded in agreement.

"Be careful, Sly..." Bentley whispered with a worried expression as he got first through the door.

"Don't take too long, okay? My belly still has that wierd feeling..." the hippo said with equal care to which the raccoon smiled.

"I won't. I promise, big guy." he assured him before finally closing the door to the two retreating forms.

_**BLAST!**_

_**BOOM!**_

"You're **_all_** going to jail!" the Interpol agent emphasized after having shot at Sly's head, who thankfully had dodged the blow just in time. Giving a quick glance at the still sizzling hole on the door (that could had been _him_ seconds ago) and the threatening female just some feet away from him, the mammal tried to calm his horrified heart, with his cane clutched to his chest, and smooth his fully stood up fur. Specifically his tail which looked like a frizzled mess.

Taking a final deep breath, the thief regained his cool and put on his most charming grin.

_**Warning**_: all fangirls should be tied up, right now, in order to prevent a threat to the public health.

_ Thank you_. You may continue.

"Now, now, Carmelita, I thought you only wanted _me_ and no one else." the master _charmer _began his attempt of a spell as he took small steps towards the end of the hall they were just crossing.

Inspector Fox narrowed her eyes in response, her pointed gun simply coping his movements. She planed to attack the moment he bolted into action. "I'm after the three of you and any other law-breaker I may come across. That doesn't put you in any special position.".

Sly pouted in sadness, his ears folded. "_Ouch_... That's **_harsh_**. I can feel the goosebumps coming from how cold this place got." he joked whilst he rubbed his arms as if he was trying to get warmer.

Instead of fuming in frustration and irritation like she normally would, the fox smirked in a way that could only mean trouble.

For _him_, that is.

"Oh, you're feeling cold, ringtail?" she started with no concern, the smirk always present on her face. "Then allow me to warm you uuuuuuuu**uuupp**...!" Carmelita trailed off as a result from having taken a step forward and slipping on a lost steel pipe. Understandably, she lost her balance and was about to fall on her bottom, but, just before the latter happened, she accidentally pulled the trigger and one of the pistol's powerful bolts was fired.

What did it hit?

**_BLAST!_**

_**BANG!**_

The long and exposed ventilation duct going from one side of the ceiling to the other.

"Oops..." the thief said as both him and the Latin still sitting on the ground eyed the enormous hole the shot produced on the duct.

**_CRACK!_**

_**CRACK!**_

Alarming metallic sounds resonated through out the extensive hall when something disturbed the weight distribution on the mentioned duct which easily broke into two segments. The segments' new openings began to descend for a couple of seconds before they stopped moving, thanks to the pieces that bolted the rest of the duct to the ceiling.

Inspector Fox moved first. "Great. Just _great_. I can hear the major bill _and_ the lecture I'm getting for this already." she finished with a sigh at the same time she got up and brushed off the dust from her pants, her pistol still pointed to the young man.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you but that's not what I'm hearing right now." he mentioned, ears straightened, in the damaged ventilation system's direction with his cane. The same thing that allowed the duct to crumble seemed to making the noises one would make if they were going against its walls or, dare say, sliding it.

"..aaaaa_aaAAAA**AAHHHHHH**_!" grew the scream just before _someone_ came out from the segment on the left. Due to the stranger's reflects, though, he or she was able to grab the ducts irregular edge with his or her left hand.

"There's someone up there!". Sly turned to the agent. "We've got to help!".

Without him noticing, Carmelita had lowered her weapon and had summoned a walkie-talkie from her jacket.

"This is Inspector Fox requesting back up, I have a civilian about to fall from a life-threatning height, I repeat life-threatning, do you copy?" she ordered with great speed and urgency but only got static as an answer. "_**Damn it**_! It's not working. We'll have to improvise with what we have around here." the Latin said, walkie-talkie back inside her jacket.

The master thief raised a furry eyebrow as he went to grab a large white cover from one of the walls.

"_We_?".

"Don't push it, ringtail.".

While things on the ground buzzed with activity, the anonymous '_civilian_' was trying to maintain his/her rapidly weakening grip and at the same time reach inside his/her partly opened black jacket.

"_Don'tlookkdowndon'tlookdowndon'tlookdown_..." repeated the mantra before he/she finally took with a shaky hand the desired object. White orbs shifted into a hopeful expression. "_**YES**_! I've got it!".

It was a black grappling hook gun.

**_CRACK!_**

Which needed to be used _immediately_ if the stranger didn't want to turn into black soup.

"_PULL_, _**NOW**_!" Carmelita barked as she and Sly watched terrified, from their respective scaffoldings, the figure's hand slipping after the abrupt shake the duct had made. A cover was already stretched between them to easy his/her fall.

But there was no need. For when the strange person began to descend with his/her back to the ground, the hook was shot and successfully got stuck to the stone ceiling. After going through some meters (_feet_ if you prefer), a tiny switch was flicked on the gun's side and its rope suddenly ceased unwinding, gravity greeted the so-called '_civilian_''s body in full force. _He_ had reached half the distance from the ceiling to the ground, so, due to the fact that they had yet to get down from the scaffoldings, the raccoon and the fox could once and for all fully see _who_ exactly they had been about to save.

It was the black-clad thief.

"Oh _my_..." he said sheepishly as his white orbs darted from a shocked face to the other, gloved hands refusing to let go the grappling gun.

"What an awkward situation...".

* * *

**Hey! What was that? = مهلا! ماذا كان ذلك؟  
**

**Again! It's coming from the office! There's someone inside! = !مرة أخرى! انها قادمة من مكتب ! هناك شخص داخل**

**Let's bring down the door! = !دعونا إسقاط الباب**

**No! The boss will kill us! = لا! المدرب ستقتل لنا!**

**Fine! Then open the door, quick! = غرامة! ثم فتح الباب، سريعة!**

**DONE!**

**Review or message, if you please. T****ell me your constructive opinion! Forgive me for any spelling/grammar mistake you may find.**

**See you next time!**


	2. Episode 1

**Aaannnd we are back for another chapter! This is when things get a little... _hot_ and not in the way you may be thinking.**

**I want to thank (again) **_**olirulz111 **_**for pointing out some useful and important details regarding this story. It's this kind of review that helps me improve my writing skills (plot and grammar wise).**

**I can't think of anything else to write so onwards with the disclaimer!**

**I don't own Sly Cooper nor all the other characters from the franchise, they belong to Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. I just own the characters you won't recognize.  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Episode 1**

_Burn, baby, burn_

"... A ninja?" Sly asked out loud in complete disbelief. "We almost rescued... _a ninja_?".

Excitement filled his eyes as a lopsided grin of amusement appeared on his face. Someone is clearly a fan of these legendary warriors. "I've always wanted to meet one since I was eight but I never imagined it was going to be _**this**_ way. Too much _sushi_, I guess..." he commented with a teasing tone.

The white orbs staring at the raccoon had remained wide for some seconds, giving the impression that the '_ninja_' had yet to process the true dimension of his delicate situation. Then they shifted in a way that resembled half-lidded eyes, the accusation having brought him from whatever thoughts which might had been running inside his mind.

_How_ _marvelous..._ The still-nameless thief sighed internally. Certainly, this had to be some sort of punishment, if you think about it: what are the chances of one crossing paths with the infamous Sly Cooper AND the dangerous Inspector Fox at the **same** time on the **middle** of a heist? And here he had hoped it was going to be a calm night... _Oh well,_ no point in wondering now, he was already trapped, either he acknowledged it or not. So the most wise decision to make at the moment would be thinking of an exit strategy. It wasn't going to be a walk in the park, that was certain, mainly because everybody (common people or not) knew how unpredictable both the Interpol agent and the internationally wanted mammal could be.

However, there was something else about them which could be used to his advantage...

"My most sincerest apologies, _Great Master Thief Cooper..._ " he paused to slightly bow his head. "... but I must inform you that I am no such thing as a ninja. I hope this is enough to justify my less than... **_graceful_** entrance.".

As the black-clad figure had predicted, the raccoon caught on his playful attitude making his smile grow even more. He was known for being a natural charmer and entertainer, there for, after years interacting with the serious and strict Inspector Fox, the faceless intruder believed the former wasn't used to (possible) competitors who played along with his musings or possessed a sense of humor at all.

An invisible smirk formed under his black cloth.

_Step one completed._

"Whoa, hold on there... You don't need to be so formal, just call me Sly. But I must admit..." he started wondering with a hand on his chin and the other still holding the white cover, his cane having been secured on his back before the whole ordeal. "... the tittle sure has a nice _ring_ to it... Anyway, that aside, we have to do something about the unequal _positions_ in our acquaintanceship.".

"Unequal _positions_?" the stranger innocently asked, the orbs back to their full moon shape and head slightly tilted to the side, while trying to cope with his tired hands and the painful double-meaning behind his purposely chosen words.

Sly's short answer was filled with intrigue: "Well, _yes_.". He couldn't help it, though, this new acquaintance was a true odd ball. Usually there would be a reaction ranging from uninterest to pure rage from this kind of provocation. However, said odd ball, unlike a tough cookie he remembered, was unaffected by it. Almost as if he was trying to get something from _him_ and not the other way around. Maybe _he_ was the one being played.

The last thought brought a smirk of approval.

_This should prove to be interesting..._ "For starters,..." the master thief continued. "... you already know who I am but I can't say the same about you. So, care to enlighten me, _Mounsier_ No-such-thing-as-a-ninja?".

_**CLICK!**_

"Then, how about we begin with what he _isn't_, Cooper.".

And speaking of tough cookies...

The two criminals turned, for the first time, to the female fox, her shock pistol ready to fire at any second and her side of the white cover forgotten on the ground. A scowl was present on her lips and if you were feeling bold enough to stare at her narrowed eyes, you would notice the flash going across them from time to time.

She had recognized _him_.

"As you saw not long ago, this crook is no ninja and can hardly be considered a 'civilian'." Carmelita explained the latter fact with some frustration, feeling suddenly foolish for having even considered such a thing. "The authorities of Angola, Hong Kong and Brasil have been trying to hunt him down for the last three years after he robbed some of the most powerful and influential people of the world!" she proceeded as her gaze concentrated only on the culprit's white pseudo eyes.

"He is No One, the _demon_ thief."

...

I got my script fixed so I'm not going to tell you anything.

_**THUD!**_

But I can inform you that that sound was the rest of the white cover hitting the ground.

"...No One? You're saying _this_ guy here..." the blue-clad mammal emphasized by pointing both free arms towards his general direction. "... is **_the_** thief that, according to rumours, single-handedly fought and took out 100 alligator guards during a hei-".

"Actually, they were just 13 and I might have cheated a _bit_, so I understand your dou-".

"_**SILENCE**_, YOU TWO!".

"_Yes, ma'am_..." they replied at the same time the infuriated vixen, their full attention once more on her.

"Now, get your _furry_ tails down there before I shoot your heads in the next ten seconds!" she extended the order with a vicious snarl. At least you could tell she flossed.

"_Yes, ma'am_..." Inspector Fox heard automatically while getting down in silence from her scaffolding, the criminals never leaving her or her pistol's sight. No One (finally there's a name to use) flicked the same previously used switch on the grappling gun's side, except this time on the opposite direction, this way allowing it to unwind its rope at a quick, yet stable, pace. When he got his feet on the floor, a small button was pressed and the hook released its grip on the museum's ceiling. While it was free falling, its attached rope was being collected to the device's inner deposit, producing a metallic noise once the hook hit the gun's muzzle.

The black figure closed and opened his hands a couple of times to regain some feeling in them before rolling his shoulders for the same purpose. Then he eyed the black weapon still on his possession with some sadness expressed through his white orbs, a heavy sigh going through the black cloth covering his mouth. "It's over...".

"What did you say?" Carmelita inquired in a more calm state as her ears perked to listen better to the whispering young man. The raccoon didn't have to try that much for, after skillfully descending his scaffolding and getting closer to other two by the woman's command, he was simply 4 feet from the fully clothed person on his right.

"I said..." No One began before placing the grappling hook gun on the floor in front of his boots. "... it's over. I've been caught while I was leaving from a theft, so it doesn't matter what I say or do, since I'm obviously guilty.". He raised his hands in the air in an act of surrender. "You've won fair and square, Inspector. Congratulations.".

To claim that these couple of words _surprised_ the vixen would be the understatement of the century.

Her eyes were wide like saucers, the mouth ajar, and her eyebrows had raised to such an extent that they hid behind her bangs. Even her pistol had lowered a little. This result, of course, was planned by the deceiving thief who deduced that, since the Interpol agent was a woman, she wasn't always taken seriously by her peers or the criminals (except for the master thief, apparently) when it came to her job. The media didn't give much of a help, not with those questionable headlines they make about the vixen's achievements. Anyhow, it's a sad truth in our society which was just proven by how taken back she was.

_Step two completed._

H-he was turning himself in? Just like that?... No, it couldn't be. Far too suspicious. _It's a trap_, she persisted in her mind. He was trying to distract her, catch her off guard. But it wouldn't work because, unfortunately for him, it took a lot more than this to do so. Years chasing the flirtiest thief she had ever been assigned to in her entire career taught her to expect the unexpected. To beat the enemy one must think like them and predict their next move before they execute it.

Carmelita returned to her previous stance with a renovated and determined look on her face.

"Nice try, it's a pity your **_confession_** didn't work though. I _know_ you're up to something..." she stated as a confident grin grew with each word.

Sly, from his perspective, wasn't so sure. He was clearly confused about the new turn of events, mainly what was the other thief planning. No One had been longer in active thievery than he did (for how long exactly nobody knew) and the former's reputation only kept growing after what happened last year. Obviously, he wasn't going to throw everything away so easily. Then again, neither he nor the lawful woman could read the masked criminal from beyond his pseudo eyes, which concealed his true intentions... and the reason why he was at the museum in the first place.

_Time to be a good boy and listen quietly,_ he concluded whilst he too raised his hands in defeat.

The gesture was only acknowledged by the Inspector who gave him a quick glance before turning to the abrupt sound coming from the floor.

It was the grappling gun sliding towards the fox's feet.

"There... You need proof besides my words, so I present you my baby girl. But, _please_, be gentle. She hasn't taken a nap yet." the black figure informed, his orbs expressing an abnormal concern.

Instead of granting reassurance like it was intended, Carmelita only grew more restless as her whole body tensed. Should she just pick it up? Would he come up with another surprise?... Nevertheless, there was no other option.

And so, with the shock pistol hardly moving, she lowered herself, grabbed the cursed object and attached it to her belt when she was standing once more. No One hadn't moved at all, not even a flinch or twitch was seen, his posture in full attention and, at the same time, almost eerily calm. The other _one_ however...

"You've been awfully quiet, ringtail. If I didn't know you any better, I would say you've lost your _tongue_.".

The reaction was instantaneous.

"Oh, I truly appreciate your concern for my well-being, Inspector Fox, but I was just trying to be polite by not interrupting your conversation. Additionally, I've been pondering questions of my own regarding... him." the raccoon indicated with his head.

The vixen raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Sure, Cooper had the tendency to fool around when it came to their chases, however, if the situation involved anything of his interest, he wouldn't hesitate in taking the lead. Not to mention, whatever had signs of his gang's presence, it normally had connections to something or someone illegal and threatening to the public safety.

What called a thief, called a cop.

"What do you want to know?" she finally asked in a cautious tone.

"Let's start with what gave him away. I should had been the one recognizing him, since we share the same line of business, yet you beat me to it. How?".

"The alligators.".

Sly and Carmelita turned to the culprit of their doubts in a blink of an eye, completely unprepared to be clarified so openly by him of all people.

"It was them, wasn't it? Up until Hong Kong, I've done my best to not be seen, much less photographed, by anyone. That's why the authorities haven't caught me... _u__ntil now_." he paused to send a glance to the Inspector, which somehow wasn't hostile, simply sad. "But, as it goes with any plan, mine wasn't safe from the unpredictable and I was left with no alternative other than facing the security unit. They were too many, though, so I decided to scare them a _teeny-tiny_ bit first." he ended with his index and thumb almost touching each other.

Anger made its triumphal return to the woman's face. "Just a _bit_? Those guards had to receive therapy for half a year because they thought a white-eyed _**demon** _was going to attack them during the night!" was her shout of indignation.

"Like I said, _not_ safe from the unpredictable." No One shrugged showing no remorse which made the Interpol agent fume and boil even more.

"So you knew who he was by his.. '_eyes'_ alone?... Have you been shooting other criminals behind my back, Inspector?" the master thief joked.

"Don't be ridiculous." she hissed between gritted teeth towards both questions. "According to the report the Interpol received, some of the witnesses saw something else shinning in the dark just below the _demon orbs_. It was rectangular shaped and probably metallic... like a zipper's slider. All I had to do was connect the dots while you _ladies_ were busy befriending each other.".

That pretty much says everything.

The blue-clad thief nodded, showing he understood the whole explanation. "I see... Then there's only one more thing I want to know." he announced before he turned to the figure on his right.

"What did you steal?".

No One flinched in a way that resembled a child being caught doing something naughty, tail flickering rapidly from side to side and the like. It was the sign, albeit subtle, that he was hoping this subject would go untouched. Rather bizarre for someone who would have to face it, sooner or later, since he had turned himself in moments ago. And yet that was enough to make the demon thief's 'mask' fall in front of their eyes.

Carmelita extended an open palm on his direction.

"Give it to me."

But the criminal hesitated.

"If you're trying to come up with one of those _fancy_ excuses of yours, stop right now. My patience has a limit and this charade has gone far too long. _Therefore_..." she moved her gloved fingers expectantly. "... hand it over.".

Seconds passed and the tension in the air thickened constantly, reaching a level where a simple step or sudden move could ignite (as a lightened match in a gas chamber) an explosion.

A _shock bolts_ kind of explosion.

"**_Fine_**..." No One sighed in resignation whilst his white orbs went back to their half-moon state. Fully ignoring the anxious eyes observing his every movement, he grabbed a side of his jacket with a hand and dug inside it with the other. It seemed the black figure had a lot of stuff in there, because he was clearly struggling to get the stolen object. Sly imagined a tongue sticking out from frustration, if he could see the young man's face, and the Interpol agent chastised herself for not having checked him for more potential weapons. "Here it is...".

It was a small cardboard box.

"I'm going to throw it, so you better catch it, okay?" the deceiver warned before he took action.

The Latin found nothing out of ordinary about the box once it landed on her palm. The package couldn't be bigger than a Rubik cube and was sealed with some duck tape. What was important enough for such a wanted thief to give himself the risk? Was this little thing what he was truly after? There was obvious reluctance from his part...

"What's in it?" she inquired with her piercing eyes.

"A jewel. A very ancient and expensive one at that. Can I see it to make sure it didn't bre-".

_**BLAST!**_

_**BANG!**_

"Don't you dare take another step!" the vixen threatened after she shot the ground not far from his boots, producing a hole in the white cover.

The bristled furry tail was all she needed as a reply.

"You, Cooper, get here and open this for me. If you try anything funny, the next victim won't be the floor.". Carmelita didn't like this kind of predicament, but she couldn't hold her gun _and_ open the box at the same time. Besides, she had too little about No One's tricks, other than pretty words and torturing that is.

Sly gulped as a bead of sweat fell on his temple. This woman never bluffed, experience had proven him that to last a lifetime. "I wouldn't dream of it, Inspector Fox." he added a nervous chuckle before he moved to respect her command.

While the raccoon took the box and delicately removed its duck tape, the agent kept alternating her attention between the close robber and the more distant one, who had his arms raised for the second time. With the top tape free, he let the sticky piece fall to the floor and flipped the side flaps to reveal the package's content.

There was no jewel inside.

_**BOOM!**_

Just a smoke bomb.

Coughing was the first sound of life that emerged from the expanding grey cloud, who it belonged to it still wasn't visible. A minute or so flew by and the smoke started to clear at a quick rhythm. The female fox took advantage of it and fervently searched for the two criminals.

They were gone.

And so was the grappling hook gun.

Her shoulders shook in pure rage before she unleashed a mighty scream profaning the black-clad thief's name.

A mocking laugh echoed through out the museum's halls in response.

_Mission accomplished._

**_Again._**

* * *

"_Hahaha_... I can't believe that actually worked! _Ha_!".

As you may have already deduced, the person rejoicing in relief across the corridors (far away from the _crime scene_) was no other than No One. Now with his gun back and properly zipped jacket, he was looking for the particular air vent that would lead him to a safe exit. Understandably, there were some guards patrolling the part of the building where the vent was located, proving an obstacle to his goal.

"Not a problem. Compared to the _**nightmare**_ I just had, this is a piece of cake." he whispered while peeking around a corner for any trouble.

"Do you always talk to yourself?".

With a mixture of shock and surprise, the fugitive twirled around in full alert to the voice's source, fists raised in a fighting stance and white orbs narrowed threateningly. Realization of who it was made his 'eyes' widen for a couple of seconds, only to have them return to their dangerous shape later on.

"_Sly Cooper_... How reckless of me to think I had lost you back there." he said in a strangely serious tone.

The master thief was standing with his cane leaning on his shoulder, a hand on his hip and a smug smile openly present from having startled the mysterious figure. He too hadn't expected the tiny box to, literally, _blow_ _up_ on his face, but after having breathed the smoke a couple of times and noticing it wasn't poisonous, he found it harmless enough to leave the vixen behind and follow the fleeing young man.

...

What he wanted from him exactly?

We might find out soon.

"Come on! Don't be so hard on yourself. Remember? _No one_ is perfect." the mammal teased with his classic play on words.

However, unlike the previous times, No One didn't counter back with equal humor, the pun passing by completely ignored. He wasn't in the mood for jokes. "If you came after that jewel, forget it. It don't have it. And whatever it is that I _do_ have with me, it won't interest you... nor will I let you get it." he informed him straightforwardly while his voice lowered similar to a warning.

"I'm not after any treasures... _tonight_." Sly finished whilst smirking to himself. Then, out of the blue, his demeanor turned uncharacteristically grave as his lips formed a thin line, the eyebrows furrowed and both hands fell to his sides (one of then still holding his weapon). "I'm looking for answers.".

Despite the small comfort he felt when there was no demand for what he carried, the black-dressed acquaintance felt distrust inflating in his gut, which he didn't bother to hide from the raccoon. "I already gave them, _remember_? I don't know why you want to turn this into '20 Questions' all of a sudden.".

"The Inspector was there and I don't want her involved. Besides, it's not that many, just one. After that, I won't bother you anymore. You have my word as a Cooper." he promised with a raised hand.

_Oooooh, the Cooper line, that's right_... No One thought about the memory. If the gossip in the Underworld was correct, those that belonged to the famous thieving family carried their name very carefully, for the original legacy dated many centuries back and they didn't want to be responsible for tainting their ancestors' heritage. Sly was the only known descendent and, so far, he had been able to restore their former glory, no shame in admitting it.

"Very well... " he began before lowering his fists and taking a more comfortable posture. "5 minutes.".

Satisfied, the blue-clad thief proceeded: "Tell me, and be _honest_, are you working for the Klaww Gang?".

No One's white orbs automatically grew to their full-moon shape.

_Uh-Oh_... Wrong question, kid! _**Wrong question**_!

"Klaww Gang... you think I work... _for **them**_?" came out rhetorically as he started to move towards the mammal. "Th-those extremely poor _excuses_ of living creatures whose only purpose is to _milk_ money from other people no matter what the _**cost**_? Even if it means exploiting addicts, destroying proprieties, wrecking families and... _murdering_ innocents?!" he continued in a contained shout, revulsion and rage spilling from every word. At this point, his face had gotten truly close to the master thief's, so much their chests almost touched and the latter could see the former's goggles under the hood.

Sly had to suppress a shiver. That hatred plus the reflecting glass on the round goggles had brought pieces from his past that he would rather keep buried. He didn't doubt anymore, though, the feelings were too real to be feigned.

"Alright, I believe you. I'm sorry for even implying it." he stated firmly without ever breaking eye contact or moving at all.

"_Damnrightyouare_..." the black fugitive mumbled as he backed off from the other's personal space and crossed his arms. The pseudo 'eyes' still had to leave his form, thus the extended hand the raccoon offered, after a moment of silence, couldn't be dismissed.

"So, we _cool_?" he hoped in his playful self at the same time he offered a genuine smile.

Neither a smirk nor a smug grin.

A simple smile.

And it suited him. _Darn_...

Silently, No One uncrossed his arms, sighed profoundly and, only then, shook the thief's right hand. He was wiling to offer some trust to this unique young man, although still under his watchful 'eye'. Cooper was labeled as a robber with morality, no matter how contradictory it sounded, and until now the little he had heard about him has been correct. _Let's just hope I won't regret this..._

"Yeah, yeah... We _cool_.".

Noticing the older criminal's orbs shift into half-moons and his calmer voice tone, Sly's smile doubled in size, much to the other one's dismay. He opened his mouth to say something...

_"...**Sly**? Sly, are you there?"_.

... but was rudely interrupted.

The grey creature broke the handshake and asked his _pseudo _ally to wait before he placed two fingers on his ear.

"I've got to give it to you, Bentley, your timing has yet to disappoint me.".

"_Sly! By Leonardo's beard, what happened? Murray and I have been waiting for almost an hour and we can't even spot your tail!_".

"Sorry about that, guys." he chuckled sheepishly. "Things just got a little more complicated since _someone_ decided to_** fall**_ between me and Carm-_Imean_, Inspector Fox." the master thief caught himself as his new acquaintance rolled his 'eyes' to the hidden reference.

"_Hm...Who is it?_" the turtle hesitated with wariness.

"You're not going to believe this, but I have **_No One_** right in front of me.".

"_...Did you really just give me a near heart attack to tell a bad joke? Seriously, after all th-_".

"No,no,no. This isn't a joke." the mammal assured his companion as the one he had tried to announce snorted in amusement. "It's _the_ No One, you know, the guy that stole under that anaconda's nose back in Brasil?

"_Oh... **OH**! OHMYEINSTEIN, Sly, are you **okay**?! He didn't do anything? Is he a **threat**_?!".

Shaking his head good-naturally, the raccoon continued. "Yes, _mom_, I'm fine. No, he didn't. And yes, he could be but, for the time being, he isn't." he paused to look at the person in question, who had an orb smaller than the other resembling a cartoon character raising an eyebrow. "To prove me so, he even _volunteered_ himself to guide me out of the museum.".

"_**WHAT**_?!" was the mutual answer of both the reptile and the demon thief, to which Sly had to cover his ears. "I _never_ agreed to that! Did we make a _deal_ in the first place? **_No_**, we didn't, Mister Cooper, because the only thing_ I _remember is your promise of never bothering _me_ again!" the hooded creature commented in indignation.

"But I don't know where the closest exit is! And before you say something like '_you should had studied the building plans_',..." the mammal mimicked Bentley's voice. "..., in my defence, I did. What puzzles me is the fact that some walls have disappeared and others have been moved." reasoned the exasperated master thief.

"You can thank the workers and the robbery from last night for that.".

"See? You're perfect for the job! So, _please, please, please_, help me out..." he pleaded with his hands grabbing each other, a trembling lower lip and... _oh no..._

... big and round _puppy_ eyes.

No One released a tired groan as his gloved hand went inside the hood to scratch his neck. What has he gotten himself into? It's true that he had decided to give the guy some credit but... so soon? How can this fool behave so casually with a stranger after having been tricked by him? He bet he would just follow him around, whether he helped him or not. _And I thought I was confusing..._

"I honestly can't tell who's crazier: the idiot that, for some reason, trusts me enough to take him out of here or the _bigger_ idiot that's actually agreeing to do so.".

Lighting-up like a kid on Christmas Day proved to be one of the blue-clad thief's many talents.

"Personally, I would bet my money on the first one. And as for the reason you want to know, let's just say meeting someone that doesn't attack me on sight deserves a big plus on my book." he responded in his frisky attitude.

"... Point taken."

"_Are you really sure about this, Sly? I don't like where this idea is going_... _and neither does Murray's belly_... _don't ask_." the turtle returned to the communicator after hearing the entire exchange.

"Absolutely. You guys stay hidden from the police and try to not waste too much gas. I won't take long. Sitting Duck, _out_." Sly confirmed with all seriousness.

It was quiet for a couple of seconds before a sigh was heard due to the ear piece.

"_Okay... Take care. Wizard, out_.".

When the raccoon turned back to his guide, the latter was waiting with his arms crossed and his head was crooked to the side.

"Cute code name." No One teased.

"Why, thank you, that's very nice. Now..." the young man stopped to join his palms in a praying position. "... where to, _sensei_?" he finished while bowing his upper body.

The result was the black figure's 'eyes' turning into half-circles and he walking ahead (somewhat annoyed, mind you) around the corner towards their destination. The '_student_' was never far.

"You're not going to let go the whole '_me being a ninja_' thing, are you?".

"Not after you pulled that smoke bomb.".

* * *

The Ancient Greece wing.

Pottery, sculptures, currency, weaponry, paintings and other artifacts filled the many salons and corridors this segment of the museum possessed. The themes they expressed ranged from the humble mediterranean agriculture to the mighty domain of the Olympian gods. Each piece could tell us a story of its own, one that survived the thousands of years they have been in existence to reach the future generations and prevent the once great Greek Empire to be forgotten.

**_BAM!_**

So much for a History lesson...

"It's all clear, we can get out."

**_THUD!_**

**_THUD!_**

Two crouched figures in the shadows rose to their feet after having dropped from the then opened air vent. All I have to say is that they were a raccoon and somebody dressed from head to toe in black.

Sly whistled in a low note.

"I must say, my friend. You're stronger than what I thought. Seriously, look at this..." he stared at the vent's weakened lid. "... it's almost falling from its hinges and you even dented it a little.".

"That's because the ventilation system is very old and they have yet to replace the lids with new ones. It's not like I'm Superman or something." the dark fugitive explained unpassionately as he headed to the left, posture ready to spring at any surprise. "And I'm not your friend.".

The mammal found no trouble in catching up with him. "You've done your homework, good. No need to be a killjoy, though.".

"I may be a _killjoy _but at least I don't put my faith on people I barely know so easily." the other one criticized without turning to the master thief.

"I know that you're not a bad guy."

No One froze abruptly on his tracks at the statement.

"...You... you really think so?".

Surprise filled the grey creature, clearly taken back by the _dejected_ voice.

"Well... yes, of course." he confirmed as he got in front of the strange young man. Only two thin white lines were visible from his orbs, for he was staring at the floor rather solemnly, and his ears were dropped in equal fashion. He wasn't pretending and Mr. Ringtail couldn't be more buffled at this development. "You don't think the same?".

Shoulders rose and fell as the demon thief took a deep breath through his nose.

"It's not that... _I_ don't believe so, it's more lik-" he cut himself once he looked up and saw the emotions swimming on the raccoon's brown eyes. Was that..._concern_... for _**him**_?_ Good Lord, I have go get out of here... _"Forget it, Cooper, it's not something for you to worry about." he continued after clearing his throat. Loudly. "Except, maybe, that spider web on your hat.".

"_OhJeez_!" Sly shrieked as he grabbed the accessory with his free hand and waved it in the air in hopes of cleaning it. "I hate it when that happens. Why didn't you warn me sooner?" he wondered as he put the webless hat back on his head.

A gasp of dramatic shock escaped the black figure before he walked around the accuser. "Are you implying that _moi_ deliberately executed such a disgraceful act?".

"_Yup_."

"Oh! Heavens above, what has the world come to?" the improvising actor pledged to the ceiling (with a gloved hand on his forehead, essential for tragedies) at the same time he disappeared around the corner just some feet away.

After rolling his eyes to the evident attempt of changing subjects, the raccoon took the same course the other thief did while a betraying smile grew on his face. "I think you need to check your card deck, not-my-friend. You've already used that trick and it won't work twice. Anyway, are we far from the... " he trailed off the moment he turned the corner and saw what they were looking for right before him.

"The exit?" No One completed with a tail flicking in satisfaction, being up to now outside in a large balcony that happened to have a street just below. "Do not fret, princess, for you are officially free.".

Chuckling all the way, the mammal got quickly to the odd ball's side. "You weren't kidding when you said we were close.".

"_Pffft_, yeah right. I never fool around during my mission. Even if I am _forced _to do favors that may delay it since a certain _someone_ doesn't keep their promises." the one labelled as a demon added with a sore expression.

"But how can _I_ be a bother when I'm such a joy to be with?" the master thief defended smoothly once he put aside his curiosity over said 'mission'. "And I think you agree, otherwise why did you stop being so mean to me like you were half an hour ago?".

"Currently, I _tolerate_ you. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Well... I guess for a beginning that's good enough. So I'll take it."

_**BUMP!**_

In agitation, both criminals span to the noise, which resembled one accidentally colliding with a vase.

It was Inspector Carmelita Fox.

"_JUMP_!"

_**BANG!**_

_**BLAST!**_

"**_Aaaargh_**!" was the blue-clad young man's grunt of agony after getting hit by a shock bolt when he was on the middle of a back flip. His body fell heavily on the balcony's floor and, due to the momentum from the effort of avoiding the blow, he skidded a bit on his back before halting completely, his hand still holding the beloved cane.

"_SLY_!" called the other young man who remained unscathed thanks to having front flipped to the side, opposite to the mammal's direction. He could only watch as the latter tried to get up using his elbows but the insufferable pain forced him to slump back unceremoniously on his left side. Though his new position made the two present people face his back, the injury was finally in full view for them to see.

An alarming looking burn occupying half of his right side.

_No... please, God, not this... _No One begged by slightly shaking his head in denial as time seemed to freeze at the speed the thoughts plagued his mind. Why? _Whywhywhywhywhy_ is it always him? What had _he_ done wrong? Was this a way to test him? To see if he was going to let the same happen like... in _that_ **_one_** time?

His white orbs suddenly narrowed in mix of resolution and determination.

No, it wouldn't be like _that_ one time.

"HEY, Miss Cop!".

Carmelita rotated her head to her right, the first movement since shooting the raccoon. Her eyes were wide in such a way they gave the impression they were getting off their sockets. Even their pupils had shrunk frightfully. The woman's hands twitched occasionally which loosed their grip on the crime weapon.

She was drowning in guilt.

"Do you feel better now? Did you really have to hurt him?" the angered thief inquired with a restless tail whilst moving towards the mammal cursing at another failed try at rising to his feet. "Look at _him_! Look at what you've _**done**_!" he indicated through his hand.

"But... but I never set it in this mode... I-I only stun... I-I..." the Interpol agent stammered, gaze on the pistol shaking on her hand. "...I don't understand..." she confessed truly confused. Inspector Fox would solely hurt a criminal in a hand-to-hand situation, if it so required, and the damage would never be permanent. She believed doing the contrary meant one lowering themselves to the crooks' level, thus her choice in only stunning them and using the other modes to destroy lifeless obstacles.

The Latin's sincerity was not ignored by the hooded figure.

"Maybe it's because you've gone blind. The world it's not as black and white as you think." he proposed when he stopped just a couple of feet from the curled grey creature. "Here, let me _illuminate_ you.".

**_BANG!_**

A blinding white explosion erupted from the balcony after No One had thrown a flash bomb between him and the red woman. She practically howled the moment she felt her eyes stung, vision temporarily missing for the next couple of minutes. The demon thief wasn't affected thanks to his goggles and he wasn't going to allow such an opportunity go to waste once he reached his target. So, as fast as Sly's wound could handle, he put one of his arms around the covered neck and helped him stand up. With one of his own arms around the raccoon's shoulders for stability, they slowly walked to the balcony's near by stone railing and got on top of it. The poor guy simply kept hissing in pain.

"It's going to be okay, Sly. We're almost there." the rescuer assured as he released his right hand (the one which was holding the mammal's arm around his neck) to fish out his grappling hook gun. After properly securing the hook on the railing and tightening his grip on the young man, he asked the latter to hang on him, which he obeyed in a groggy state once he had his cane in his back. A jump and a flick of a switch later, the two were descending safely to the street's sidewalk. "Where's your meeting point?" the older thief asked when they felt the ground once more.

"Over... there." was his answer, along with a gloved finger pointing to an alley on the other side of the road and deep exhausted breaths.

"Alright, I assume it's not far, but we've got to get there fast so..." No One paused to put both of the injured's arms circulating his neck, turn his back to him and lower himself. "... you're going to need a ride.".

Understanding what he meant, the raccoon leaned chest-first on the black figure's back, always mindful of the pain, and let him grab his legs for a piggy-back ride.

"Please... don't tell me I'm... heavy.".

"I'm sorry but you _are_." the rescuer finished with a grunt as he got clumsily to his full height. "However, if it serves of any consolation, I can handle it... somehow.".

Crossing the street proved to be easy, for at that time of the night there were, fortunately, no cars. Once they were halfway to the alley, blaring sirens polluted the silent and peaceful night as numerous police cars chased a passing by blue van with flames painted on its front and the Sly Cooper symbol on its side.

Aren't they the very epitome of subtlety?

"Okay, we are at the alley, now what?" the hooded figure asked the grey mess looking over his shoulder.

"Go... right." he instructed weakly.

Fighting the sickening smell of burned flesh and the tiredness invading his legs, No One worked his way through the narrow cobbled paths thanks to Sly's guidance. Just when the carrier thought they were lost, they ended up in a dead end where the Cooper van was just arriving with its back doors opened.

A turtle was waiting in the vehicle's back.

"_**SLY**_! _HolyArquimedes_, what happened?" he exclaimed as the stranger approached him with his wounded friend. "_**You**_! Who are you and what did you do to him?" Bentley accused in pure hatred.

The demon thief paid him no mind, though, and rapidly climbed inside to gently lay down the other thief who was now struggling to remain conscious. "It's a long story but the short version is that he got shot by that vixen-".

"Carmelita _shot_ Sly?!" the pink hippo shouted with shock as he looked at the group from the driver's seat. "But she never burns him!"

"Yeah, that's how she reacted too." the dark rescuer replied Murray, who only then did he notice. "So it's likely that her pistol was sabotaged or something along those lines." he continued as he started to get up since he believed the injured was safely settled.

The mammal grabbed one of his wrists.

"Wait, No One,... the police... they are too... many, let us... help you...".

"**_Help who_**?!" the reptilian momentarily paused his examination on the burn. "_No One_?! Have you gone mad, Sly? How can we take him to the hideout? We don't even _know_ him!".

"... I trust... him...".

"And look what you got in return!"

The raccoon raised his head to his partner, hat almost falling off, cold sweat wetting his fur on some spots and his shirt missing a chuck. "Bentley... _please_...".

Said turtle put on a torn expression as his glasses drifted from a childhood friend to the other, both anxious for his decision. His hardened gaze then landed on the questioned hero of the day whose 'eyes' were two white full moons still amazed with the proposal the suffering young man had made. _There's** no** alternative, Sly needs urgent treatment and the cops are coming back... it'll have to do..._

"_Fine_! He can come with us." he sighed in defeat as he adjusted his glasses. "No One, close the doors and, Murray, _step on it_, let's get out of here!" the brainiac gave the orders firmly before the addressed people executed them without hesitation.

Banging of metallic doors, screeching of tires and blasting of nearing police sirens all played at the same time in an unusual symphony.

But none of them sounded louder than the far away screaming fox.

* * *

**Gosh, the drama in this one killed me.**

**Just a warning: my updates can be rrrreeeaaalllyyy slow, like, months kind of slow, but it doesn't mean I have abandoned the story.**

**Quick question. Longer or shorter chapters? Shorter ones take less time for an update.**

**Review or message, if you please. T****ell me your constructive opinion! Forgive me for any spelling/grammar mistake you may find.**

**See you next time!**


	3. Episode 2

**They say first impressions are very important because it may, or not, determine your future relationship with your new acquaintances.**

**Yup, No One is screwed (pardon, my french).**

**That said, I want to thank the new favourites/followers for choosing to favourite/follow this story, it means a lot. And I want to give a mention here to _Nova Del_ and _Ghostkid33_ (you cute potatoes) for the reviews. I will try to respect the suggestion of writing shorter chapters, since I wish the same.**

**I don't own Sly Cooper nor all the other characters from the franchise, they belong to Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. I just own the characters you won't recognize.  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Episode 2**

_You're my mission_

_**BAM!**_

"A second-degree burn!" Bentley exasperatedly declared after bursting the hideout's door open. "Of all things, it had to be such a nasty burn!" he continued his rant as Murray and No One brought Sly inside, the hippo holding the injured raccoon under his arms and the mysterious thief by his calves.

"...I'm... sorry..." the young man replied like a child being scolded by his parents.

"Save your energies, Sly. You're going to ne_ed them when I treat you._" the turtle warned in a softer tone whilst he went through a door on the right wall with the mammal's hat and cane, voice turning somewhat muffled the moment he was on the other side.

"Where do you want him?" the hooded figured asked as he and the big herbivorous reached the middle of the living room.

The reptilian's head peeked out from the mentioned door's frame. "Take him to the bathroom, you two, and strip him completely while I prepare things here. I want you to give him a_ cool_ bath, but not _**freezing**_ _cool, _otherwise you'll cause tissue damage and that's the least we need right now." were his instructions before going back to his affairs.

Not willing to lose more time, the carriers easily got to the bathroom thanks to Murray who knew where it was (down the only hallway by the living room, if you're curious). There, Sly's tattered shirt, black mask, belt, red pouch, hidden watch, blue gloves and boots quickly covered the tiled floor and it didn't took long for the master thief to be inside the old and simple white tub.

"_Cooolllldddd..._!" the young man on his birthday suit hissed from both the cool water filling the tub and the pain on his side, hands turned into fists to prevent himself from crawling into a ball. If he had done that, he would have preserved some warmth but, at the same time, an (almost) endless wave of suffering would invade his nervous system. _And going through hell once is more than enough, thank you very much_...

"I-It's okay, Sly... You're going to be alright." the hippo tried his best to reassure his friend while he sat on the floor close to him, despite the worry filling the light marron eyes. "Bentley will... will fix you up real good... like he always does!".

A small tired smile, a poor sample of his usual confident one, appeared on the mammal's face as relief started to make its way on his spent body. Finally, the pain was slowly, but surely, fading and becoming something not so unbearable. "_Hey_... " he called in fake offense. "Do you have... so little faith in me? It's not... the first time I get myself... a burn...".

"But none of them were _this_ severe.".

Three heads rotated to the bathroom's entrance where Bentley stood with a pile of folded, clean and dried towels on his arms. On top of the pile rested a couple of yellow rubber gloves ready to be used. "I'm going to assume you're feeling better, already, since your breathing is getting back to normal." he deduced blankly whilst he approached the tub. "Not to mention that tenacious spirit of yours." he added with a betraying smile.

"_Hehehe_... You know me." the raccoon joked after a weak chuckle. Although the turtle was displaying a calm and professional demeanor, Sly was fully aware that behind that his strategist was troubled, if not stressed, because of him. The latter had improved _so_ much (they all had from two years back), once a shy little nervous ball and now a more level-headed technology expert. He couldn't be more proud. "Say, doc, how much longer... do I need to be here?".

"Just 20 more minutes. However, before you do that, Murray and... " the reptilian paused to adjust his glasses and send an unimpressed look to the up-until-then-quiet young man. "..._No One_ are going to wash you with a special soap I have here between the towels to help disinfect your wound." he explained as he handed the pile to the untrustworthy thief. "Don't forget to use these gloves to prevent an infection. I'll be waiting in the room for him.".

Unaffected by Bentley's rather hostile tone, No One simply followed his small figure wordlessly existing the washroom with half-lidded 'eyes'. He couldn't really blame the green creature for his wary behavior towards him, even if he felt like he should, which he didn't. A _potentially **dangerous**_ stranger bringing you a _half-dead_ great friend of yours doesn't exactly look like the best way to say '_I've come in peace so let's be besties_!'. _Oh well_... it's not like they were going to work together or something. All he wanted was to make sure the master thief was going to be alright and_ then_ he would leave them be. _How troublesome..._

"Have the 20 minutes passed yet?" the pink hippo (rather impatiently) asked the momentary distracted robber. He was aware that this kind of thing had to be handled carefully, but the sooner Sly was in their pseudo doctor's hands the sooner he would get better. And that's what he only cared about: their safety.

Back to reality, the black-dressed acquaintance put the towels on the white sink by his right and picked the forgotten wristwatch on the ground to check the time. "I'm afraid I'll have to say 'no', big guy, there's still 10 minutes left." he replied in a surprised state, not expecting the sudden harshness from Murray.

No One should had seen it coming, though, since the herbivorous wasn't a person to take so lightly. According to the Underworld, the chubby fellow was once a weakling afraid of everything and everyone. However, somewhere along the way, he grew terrifyingly strong and, if infuriated, someone would always need to be sent to the hospital, criminal or no criminal.

And there they were, in a closed and small room with a hurt comrade in the bath tub.

The demon thief was doomed.

"Can I put the gloves on, now? I think we can start cleaning Sly." Murray inquired more calmly than before.

This time, on the other hand, the young man which he was talking to was paying attention and had promised himself to not let his guard down again. One can never be too prudent. "Sure. The 10 minutes are almost over, anyway." he indicated as he handed over a pair of plastic gloves for the pink fighter to use. While the latter switched handwear and the raccoon controled his body temperature with closed eyes, the mysterious figure hid his hands when he took his black gloves off and put on the yellow ones. "Done... Now, Cooper, get up so we can wash you.".

"You know that saying it out loud... doesn't make this less awkward, don't you?".

"Huh-Hum..." the faceless thief agreed without much of a thought. His attention was, actually, divided between the task of scrubbing Sly's fur with a clean sponge he had found and the other cleaner by his side caring the burn (who was then on his feet once more). So whatever were the injured's comments, their answers would be short and automatic. Like this one in particular...

"I mean..." the mammal paused to release a small grunt when his friend accidentally hurt him, to which he rapidly apologized. "... we've just met and here you are... _bathing_ me. You didn't even treat me to dinner..." he jested in an attempt to disguise his embarrassment. Murray helping him out wasn't that abnormal, since he had needed it multiple times when he had broken his arm once and the three of them had taken their baths together back in the orphanage.

But a person you hardly called a friend seeing you _buck **naked**_, _wet_ from head to toe and half covered in soap_ foam_ was a complete different story.

"I'll treat you when I can." No One said whilst his orbs narrowed in concentration, even if his sleeves were dripping with water.

Later, satisfied and finding nothing wrong with the wound, the carers rinsed the soap from the poor master thief with _yet_ more cool water before helping him out of the tub. Feet on top of his dirty clothes to avert them from freezing, the young man was dried with fluffy towels and covered with a big one over his shoulders. He successfully survived the first part of torture the treatment implied.

Now came part two.

"Ease there, I don't want any blisters to break." the turtle warned as the hippo and the black figure gently sit up Sly on the white-sheet covered bed. They were already in the room were he was to receive medical care. "That's it... good job, you two. I can perfectly see the burn now. That was a great help." he praised their handiwork, despite avoiding any eye contact with the shorter helper.

"I'll leave him to you, Bentley. _Please_... make sure he gets back to normal." Murray distressfully begged, twiddling his thumbs.

"You don't need to ask, big guy. You know I always do my best." the reptilian comforted whilst smiling and guiding his partner towards the door. "When it's over, I'll call right away, alright?" he added the promise to which the fighter nodded with a small grin of his own before heading to the living room. No One was close behind, but just when he took a step out of the 'medical room', Bentley tugged on one of his sleeves, his way of saying he wasn't done with him. "Excuse me, can I request something from you?".

Stupefied for being regarded so politely by the same person that sent him the 'evil eye' whenever he was present, the taller young man lamely accepted his request, orbs two full-moons.

"Could you, please, wait with Murray until the end of the treatment? By then, I'll be able to discuss your... _reward_ for saving my teammate with the whole Gang.".

Raising an index finger and opening his mouth, the demon thief was about to reject said reward, for he didn't wished one in the first place, however...

"Much appreciated."

**_BAM!_**

... the door was slammed on his face.

_**Sheesh**...Cooper wasn't lying about his sense of timing..._

Turning around with a tail flickering in slight annoyance due to the rude rejection, the black-dressed mystery came upon another problem.

He was utterly _alone_ with a depressed hippopotamus.

To be honest, the van's driver wasn't doing anything that posed a threat (_yet_). He was simply sitting on the living room's old brown couch meant for two people, which he occupied mostly, as he held his head with his hands and the elbows on his knees. Staring blankly at nothing or nobody in particular, the great herbivorous seemed purely dejected, not moving any time soon. And that, in itself, was dangerous.

No One deduced he was thinking about went wrong for the raccoon to reach this suffering state, since the former had faced the same scenario himself with someone he cared about. That's something for another opportunity, though. The issue was that, if his thoughts went down that road, he would come upon the solitary thief and, possibly, make the wrong conclusions. A protective person isn't a force to reckon with. What he required was a peace offering, a gesture that showed (like the mammal had somehow found out) he wasn't a bad guy and therefore couldn't had been the one at fault for Sly's burn.

Looking to the bathroom's open entrance, the faceless figure finally knew what he had to do.

"... Murray? You there?".

"_Heh_? _**What**_? Oh... it's you... No One. What is it?" he wondered after being startled by the sudden tap on his shoulder, which meant he was sitting straighter now with his yellow-gloved hands on his lap. To answer him, the master thief's watch and red pouch, along with his own racer-style red gloves, were carefully placed on it.

"I went back to change gloves..." the peacemaker stopped briefly to show he was wearing his black originals. "... and I figured you wanted these. They wouldn't do any good on the floor, right?" he finished with a friendly tone.

For a few seconds, Murray just stared at his lap, a shadow over his eyes and arms limp on his sides. Then he picked the items with the equal reverence they were given to him and put them on the couch by his left. Everything was still without a single sound before, suddenly, with a speed very few acknowledged he possessed, the hippo rose to his feet, turned on his heels and put his arms around the young man's figure.

_OhLordyallmighty... **THIS IS IT**!_ The victim thought at the same time he felt his body being picked up to the point he no longer had his boots on the ground. _I'm going to be **CRUSHED**! I'm being **SUFFOCATED**! I'M BEING..._

**_SNIFF!_**

_... hugged?_

There was no denying it, no matter how crazy it sounded, he **_was_** being hugged by the so-called furious beast. And on top of that, which was something No One hadn't noticed when he was trying to wiggle his arms free in despair, the 'beast' was _crying_ on his left shoulder, wetting his jacket with a mix of tears and snot in the process.

"Thank you, thank you _so_ much, _merci*,_ thank you for bringing Sly back to us, _**thank you**_, _merci beaucoup*_..." the poor thing chanted deliriously between English and (_perfect_) French in a whisper, his bulky body shaking all the time.

Lost in words, the trapped thief stood paralysed, 'eyes' widen in shock from the unpredictable twist. Then his gaze softened and, after some struggle, he freed his right arm and started to pet the desolated young man's head.

"There, there... Everything is going to be okay. _He _is going to be okay... _p__as de problème__, mon ami. P__as de problème*_..." the black-dressed one replied in a (hopefully) soothing manner.

If that had helped, he didn't know, since for a long time Murray kept crying and sobbing his heart out for his friend... and his brother.

* * *

"_Aaaahhh_... painkillers. You're now, officially, my new best friends.".

"Is that so? Then, next time, you can ask your _new_ best friends to change the bandages for you.".

Sly immediately frowned at the bitter comment.

"I know I messed up, Bentley, and that it's my fault. Because of me, finding the parts wi-".

"No, no, it's... it's _not_ your fault... and it's not _just_ the parts, it's..." the upset and confused strategist sighed tiredly as he turned from the medicines and ointments to the mammal. "I'm sorry, Sly... I didn't mean to snap at you like that. You see...there's a lot in my head, presently, and... and everything is coming at us at the same time I... I can barely stop..." he explained while taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes.

Something was at miss and the master thief could tell. Just an hour ago, despite the pressure and the rush, his unlicensed physician was doing a splendid job at keeping an encouraging exterior for their worried and larger friend. However, at the moment, he was in his classic stressful and grumpy state, which led the ringtail to believe his injure was worse than what it looked.

"Is the burn that bad? Did a blister pop or anything of the sort?" he asked cautiously, trying to prepare himself for the worst.

"The burn is fine." the turtle informed whilst he put his glasses back on. "Lucky for us, so are the blisters. What truly concerns me is related to your treatment and... the _duration_ of your healing period." was the grim conclusion.

Silence invaded the place for a few seconds.

"... Send Murray in. We are going to have a Gang reunion." Sly requested with furrowed eyebrows, a no-nonsense tone in his voice.

Nodding in agreement, the reptilian walked towards the door and only opened it halfway, hand constantly present on its knob. Perfectly hearing the slow creaking sound, the hippo in question abruptly paused his conversion with the 'demon' thief and was on his feet in less than a heartbeat. The red puffy eyes and the humidity on his goggles didn't go unnoticed. "It's visiting hours, sir. Do you wish to check the patient now or later?".

An extremely fast and great pink mass passed by Bentley and entered the room.

"I'll take that as a 'now'." the (for once) joking technology expert answered himself. On the corner of his eye, tough, he saw the other occupant of the living room getting up too from the sofa and heading to the 'medical area', either to see Sly or talk about the reward. The team's brains wagered it was the second. "Hold on, you. This is for Cooper Gang members only. Please be patient, you'll get what you want.".

"Wait! I-".

**_BAM!_**

The raccoon sighed.

"Do you really have to do that? You didn't even let him talk." he pointed out with half-lidded eyes after surviving a _hippo_ hug attack, clearly not happy about the way his (literal) saviour was being considered.

"Yeah! Noah is a good guy. He even let me hug him when I, huh... sweated through my eyes." the herbivorous sitting on a chair by the bed tried to dismiss their attention.

It had the opposite effect.

"Who's _Noah_?" Sly voiced the question that lingered between him and the turtle.

"The ninja that saved you, of course!".

"You mean... _No One_? Oh, and he says he's not a ninja, although I have my doubts myself.".

"Really? Then that must be why he looked at me like I had said a bad word or something."

Bentley was speechless during the entire exchange. "_What_?!". Which didn't last long. "You gave _**him**_ a nickname?! Don't you know that's the first step to grow _attached_ to someone? You just met him!" he tried to reason.

Murray's ears dropped underneath his red mask. "But I think 'No One' is a bit offending for anyone to be called and he said it was the police who named him like that. Besides, he deserves it for bringing Sly to us when he got hurt and we weren't there..." the bulky friend reminded them.

Adjusting his 50's spectacles frustratingly, the reptilian was about to give his argument when he suddenly remembered something. "_Nevermindthat_!" he finished the discussion while shaking his head and dragging an extra chair to a spot in front of the other two. "This isn't what we are here for. I need to tell you guys some, possibly, bad news." was the given continuation as he climbed and sat on the tall chair.

"First things, first, Bentley. What's the estimated healing period?" the bandaged young man asked.

"Well..." the mentioned fellow breathed through his nose. "... according to the few medicine books I own, it can take two to three weeks for you to move freely once again. Which is acceptable, since it took us almost a week to safely reach Cairo and I need some time to figure out the Clockwerk parts' whereabouts." he responded in a more calm manner.

Scratching his head in puzzlement, the hippo intervened. "I don't get it. Isn't that good news? Because it means there's still time to get the parts, right?".

"Not if we run out of antibiotics before Sly is fully cured." the unlicensed physician confessed. Being given no other questions, he proceeded. "As you already know, I always bring a significantly sized stash of medicines to every heist for the eventuality of an accident or the sort. The ointments are essential since small burns are not that rare. However, I never expected one of_ this_..." the turtle indicated Sly's side."...degree, specially from Inspector Fox.".

"How many days can the antibiotics last?" the bedded raccoon wondered.

"Four days, and that's pushing it. You need the minimal amount to last the complete treatment, otherwise you may develop an infection and the burn may take more time to disappear.".

Staring at his bandages, the master thief turned his hands into fists once he realized what his technology expert had just implied. "How can we get the meds, then? Carmelita is aware I'm in this state and that I may need them. I bet she's checking every pharmacy in the country for a turtle or a hippo as we speak.".

"Totally! And Miss Fox must have warned the police of the surrounding countries we are here, too!" Murray frantically complied.

"Murray is right. We need to leave Cairo as physically possible. An old building in the city suburbs can be suspicious after some time." the reptilian stopped to cross his arms and put himself in a thinking posture, his companions following his lead. "If only there was a wild card... a contact or someone Carmelita knew too little about... not even his or her species.".

The grey creature's eyebrows shot up when an idea emerged from hearing Bentley's last words.

"Gentlemen..." he began with one of his _sly_ smirks. "...I believe I've found our _wild card_.".

* * *

_Things are **really** getting heated up in there..._

No One, or if you prefer, Noah had been pacing from side to side for the last 15 minutes (tail twitching in anticipation) after losing all sense of feeling in his bottom. A consequence of sitting on the couch for too long. At the loud noises coming from the closed room, when just seconds ago you could barely detect a whisper, he paused his task of making an indoor jogging track and looked at the cursing door. _  
_

Was the turtle yelling at the hippo for talking to him? They were just commenting the big guy's amazing driving skills and the origin of his own name (he was growing found of his new one, though), nothing else. Although, he wouldn't be surprised if Mr. Grumpy feared his partner might had accidentally given him confidential information, which he didn't. If that was the case, why didn't he scold him right when he got inside? _Nah_... that couldn't be. Whatever it was, it had to be something the strategist was very reluctant to discuss, otherwise such a composed person wouldn't make this kind of scandal.

His white orbs grew in size spontaneously.

_What if they are talking about me? Bentley was the one who proposed the compensation for helping Sly so I don't think that's their topic... I'm not enjoying this one bit._

Before his theories of conspiracy against him could develop any further, the shouts ceased and footsteps echoed as the door opened completely for him to enter. And this time, it was the friendly herbivorous waiting at the entrance, big smile and everything.

"Come on in, Noah. We want to speak with you.".

He sure was eager for a person that had just come from a Gang reunion.

Finding no need for a reply, the black-dressed thief simply walked inside and thanked Murray for having hold the door for him, which he quickly closed. Walls have ears too and those from the Underworld know that well. Anyway, once inside the faceless young man didn't have to look around for long, since he had already seen the bed by the left wall. What was on it was a being he hadn't observed previously.

It was a_ babe_.

A _badass_-looking _**babe**_.

_Calm down, Noah... It's a just a hot charming guy with no clothes whatsoever, half covered by a white sheet, wearing bandages and... short soft-looking hair... nice shoulders... and I bathed **all** that...Ohgosh,ohgosh, say something you pervert! I can't blame hormones anymore!_

"Feeling your old self?" he asked in a voice lacing with concern.

That save, though.

"_Yup_. Much better thanks to you guys. You truly saved me back there and for that I'm eternally grateful." Sly told him with a sincere smile, eyes filled with their usual light.

_How can a mask make such a difference? He looks even better without it! This should be illegal! _The mysterious figure thought whilst he took the seat the short genius offered, the latter sitting at end of the bed instead. No One felt like he was in an interrogation room. With a blush on his hidden face. "It's fine. I'm not the kind of person that leaves a wounded behind. Particularly someone that didn't give me reasons to consider them an enemy." he simply dismissed like one would if it was a small favor and not the rescue of a human life. But he meant what he said.

The diplomat cleared his throat.

"Very well. Now that you're updated in Sly's condition, the first point of our conversation shall be your rewa-".

"I reject it.".

Three sets of eyes widened in surprise.

"I-I beg your pardon...?".

"I said, I'm going to reject your _reward_. This is what I was trying to tell before and the only reason why I stayed. I have enough enemies as it is.".

"... Why? You can ask us anything you want: treasures, information, money... and yet... w-why?". Bentley sure wasn't expecting this. Then again, who would? The paranoia you gain in life can be your shield, however it can also become your prison.

Gathering himself in a straighter posture, Noah put his hands on his knees, slightly leaned his head forward, narrowed his white orbs and looked them in the eye. "Has any of you seen someone else's life leaving them? The shine in their eyes... the heat of their body... the feeling of their coat... all that and more vanishing with you only watching? With you feeling hopeless for not stopping it, not because you don't _want_ to but because you just... _can't_?".

"I have." Sly bravely declared while his friends stared at the floor sadly. They knew how difficult it was for him to talk about what was following. "About 12 years ago, the Fiendish Five invaded my home. So, for my own protection, my parents hid me in the closet and told me to stay there." he paused to take a deep breath. "The last time I saw them was when they were _killed_... in front of my young eyes.".

"... The Cooper Massacre.".

A heartbroken chuckle escaped the raccoon.

"Is that how they call it in the Underworld? I'm not really shocked they still talk about it. The Fiendish Five must had announced to everyone how they defeated the entire Cooper line that night." he continued as venom slowly invaded his words, rage beginning to creep into his veins.

"Then you must understand when I say that life is too valuable to be exchanged. No gold, no treasure, no art, no nothing can be compared to it.".

"You said it all, my friend... _Imean_, acquaintance." the master thief quickly corrected with a small smile (which the other thief copied), the bitter memories going away for the most recent ones to emerge. "Bentley, I pass you the testimony.".

Adjusting his glasses (a nervous habit, the 'demon' concluded), the unlicensed physician mumbled a small 'thank you'. "First topic aside, we move to the second one which is hiring your _services_.".

_Oh_, the irony...

"... I'm listening." No One said, head leaning back into place and arms crossed over his chest.

"Sly's burn is no secret to you and neither is the fact that Inspector Fox is going use it to her advantage. At this very moment, she's must be scanning the profile of every single turtle and hippo using the city's, if not the country's, pharmacies. However, we are in great need of antibiotics for our friend's recovery, which can put at risk our plans.".

Foreseeing where the explanation was going, the black-dress thief voiced the task at hand. "You want to me to get them for you, isn't it? Since Miss Cop has yet to see my true 'face'?". The Gang nodded in confirmation. "_Hm_... What are the conditions?" he untrustingly inquired with a 'raised brow'. The proposal couldn't be so easy, it never was.

"We would have to take you to Alexandria with us, for it's too risky to buy the antibiotics here.".

"I'm okay with that.".

"You can bring your possessions as long as they aren't too many.".

"You wouldn't have to worry with that. I don't own much.".

"In return of this job you can make one request of any kind, as long as we can provide it.".

"This time, I would accept it. My wish is something you can manage, too.".

"And,_ finally_, you would have to tell us of your _**mission**_.".

The faceless figure's chair fell to the floor.

"... Now you're pushing it." the standing up Noah warned in a low and threatening tone, fists at his sides as his 'eyes' narrowed once more.

A slip of the tongue! That's all it took. Of course the guy was going to inform his teammates about every _little_ thing he went through in the _bloody_ museum. **_Damnit_**! And because of _his_ own mistake, he got himself in this stupidly delicate situation. _I don't care if they are the Cooper Gang, not even the Queen of England is going to put her hands in** my** CD. I'm sorry Sly. I'm sorry Murray. I'm (maybe not that) sorry Bentley. But if you want this, it will be HELL TO PAY!_

Waving his arms in a sign of peace, the hippo stood up too from his chair. Although he didn't knock it down like the other one did. "_Whoa, whoa._.. I don't want to hurt you, Noah. We won't take anything from you, I promise. It's just that we want to make sure you're not working for any bad guys." the pink fighter spook after his long period of silence.

Growling at the offensive notion, the thief refusing to cooperate turned to the mammal. "Seriously?_ Again_? I thought I've made it clear that I'm not working for _nor_ with the Klaww Gang!".

"And I _do_ believe you." the grey creature firmly tried to convince him. "The thing is that's not the only evil Gang out there making a mess and sometimes even _good guys..._" he opened his palms towards the upset young man. "... are forced to do whatever these Gangs order for some special reason. We don't want to help out the enemy.".

With his restless tail as the only evidence of movement, the mysterious thief pointed an accusing finger at them. "Listen now and listen carefully because this will be the only time I will tell you: I. Work. Alone. Do I need to say it in other languages for you to understand?".

"No... that won't be necessary." the turtle answered for his teammates. "But you must see from our perspective when I say that words alone are not enough anymore for us to trust. We need to know what you're up to and, if you have any_ proof_ to support your story, that would make our predicament a simpler one.".

No One slowly lowered his hand and remained still for a few moments, tension continuing to make its presence among the four.

His gut had been right all along and he didn't listen to it. Sure, Noah recognized their worries, for he had felt the same when Sly had asked for his assistance in getting out of the museum. However, even if he recognized they possessed morality, what they were asking was too much. Involving other people in his mission besides himself was something he had done his best to accomplish._ And yet here I am between the wall and the sword. If I don't tell them they won't leave me alone, mainly the reptilian. It still amazes me how such a small thing could hack the Pentagon and not be caught..._

"_**Fine**_..." the black-dressed one sighed heavily whilst he picked the chair from the floor and sat on it. "I accept the job and all of your conditions." he proceeded with crossed arms and half-lidded orbs.

Three sighs of relief were freed at the same time as the big guy sat back on his chair.

"_But_... " the odd negotiator abruptly added. "... you will have to confess what's your business with the Klaww Gang first. And before you make a fuss out of this, _Bentley_..." he paused to stare at the appalled computer genius. "... think wisely. _You_ want me to reveal something I haven't told any other living soul. The only thing Cooper wanted from me was what I had taken from the museum and if I was a Klaww member. I think it's only fair for you to share your information too.".

Hippo, turtle and raccoon looked at each other with a bothered expression as one would if they could telepathically communicate. The childhood friends couldn't deny the truth in his words no matter how much they tried. It was the solo option on the table if they wanted the medicine.

The famous thief was the chosen storyteller.

"Alright..." he started with a deep breath. "... I will tell the entire affair. I truly hope you can handle nightmares...".

* * *

"So... it's just like I thought. You _are_ going after the Clockwerk parts. I must admit, though, I didn't expect..._ that_ to be the reason behind it.".

"Do you see our problem, Noah? If we don't heal Sly in time, everyone in the planet will be in danger!".

"Although it may sound exaggerated, Murray doesn't lie. If someone is willing to live forever to destroy a centuries-old legacy, what would stop him from craving for more?" Bentley joined the pink fighter while he was grabbing his chin in meditation. "And what keeps baffling me about tonight's events is how easily the Klaww Gang got their hands on our target...".

"That was Sir Thaddeus Hawkins' doing.".

All eyes fell on the pseudo ally.

"The museum's head administrator?" the grey creature inquired with a raised brow. "Why would he do that?"

"Because Mr. _Birdy_ is associated with them. He put all his effort in gathering the parts in one place to make a trade. The pieces for a golden statue of Horus which some Gang member found in a tomb robber's lair." the black-dressed figure shook his head in annoyance. "_Jeez_, that guy needs a psychologist for that obsession of his. And _fast_.".

"It makes perfect sense! Nobody would suspect it was his fault if he played the victim in this charade!" the technology expert concluded. "Worst of all, with such an important finding as an Egyptian God's statue made of **_gold_**, the number of visitants will explode, he will become a national hero and get rich!".

**_COUGH!_**

**_COUGH!_**

"You mean, _if_ the statue ever reaches him.".

Recognizing the deceiving thief's playful tone, Sly smirked. "_Nnnoooaaaah_... what did you do?".

"I _might_ have made a _tiny_ mistake in the paperwork when I worked at the museum as a janitor." he replied, index and thumb almost touching each other. "Now, instead of heading to Cairo, the statue is going to be offered to the British Museum under the limitation that **_all_ **the profit from the visits shall go to charity~." contently boosted as his white orbs turned into inverted smiles.

Laughter quickly filled the 'medical area'. Groans of pain followed from laughing too hard.

"Don't try to hide it, Bentley. I saw that snicker already." No One pointed out after rapidly approaching the reptilian and lightly poking his cheek.

Startled by the sudden presence, the usually uptight young man gave away a little squeak which only led to more laughter from the other two. "Stop that! Go back to your seat! You still have to take care of your part of the deal!" he commanded with some embarrassment.

"Yes, _mom_."

Bentley grumply stared at his so-called teammates. "Ah. Ah. Ah. Very funny, isn't it? Keep laughing like that and you'll end up breaking a blister or blasting a lung.".

Some very nice 5 minutes would have to pass before both the hippo and the raccoon calmed down and the mirth was cleaned from their eyes. Once their full attention was brought back, Noah partially unfastened his black jacket and pulled out what appeared to be a small squared piece of paper from the inside. It remained in his gloved hand for a couple of seconds, sadness evident in his 'eyes', and only later did he give it to the waiting turtle.

It was a photo.

"A calico cat lady?".

"I don't think 'lady' is the proper word for her, Murray. She seems to be in her teen years.".

"I agree with Bentley on this one... 16? Maybe a little more? Who is she, anyway?".

"Lucinda da Silva. My _mission_.".

Astonished, the three stared at the mysterious person and then back at the photo.

The young woman was a calico cat, indeed, since a predominantly white coat that was patched with orange and black was present, particularly at the top of her head, pink snout and exposed arms. She didn't give away a specific breed, so it was to assume she was the average domestic cat. Her short fur revealed her chubby physic and her chocolate-brown feline eyes. Having wavy hair that matched her eyes and barely touched her jaw line, round ears were sticking out from it. The torso was the only visible part of the female cat, so they could only tell she was wearing a simple purple sweater with sleeves growing a little over the elbow. Lucinda was smiling, her white whiskers rising due to it.

A happy normal teenage girl.

"Lucinda da Silva, huh?" the mammal repeated the name as he respectfully picked the photo from his technician, being fully aware of the importance it posed to their strange fellow. "What exactly are you trying to do? Find her? Save her? Take her somewhere?".

"I'm trying to prove her innocence and bring down the _bastard_ that said otherwise.".

_**GASP!**_

"Lulu was found _guilty_?! But she looks like she wouldn't hurt a fly!" The Murray stated in disbelief.

"I'm afraid so, big guy... Cute nickname, by the way." the rescuer added with amusement, his voice not so melancholic like in the previous moments.

"Thanks. It's one of my many talents.".

Clearing his throat, the computer genius asked what the other two were pondering. "And, if I am allowed to ask, which was the crime she supposedly _committed_?".

"... Murder.".

...

**_Wow_**... the _drama_ is strong with this one.

"Around 6 years ago, an infamous murder case involving James McBuck's secretary, Miss Sarah Weasley, took place in Paris, Fra-".

"_Holdonasec_, when you say James McBuck you mean that rich deer guy who owns the biggest transportation company in the American continent, right?". Noah nodded towards the recovering thief. "No way... the police thought Lucinda killed her? How did that happen?".

"They found Miss Sarah dead from blood loss on an alley of the city's suburbs. The poor girl was there too, covered in blood and crying by the body after having tried to stop the bleeding. The murder weapon was still implanted on the weasel woman's abdomen, many stab marks were visible.".

Spectacles growing in realization, the unlicensed physician snapped his fingers. "I remember, now! That's the 'Curiosity killed the cat' case! It's all coming back to me... Lucinda da Silva was a 17-years-old portuguese young woman that was condemned to 20 years of jail time once evidence proved she stabbed Sarah Weasley, who was visiting Paris with her employer, with a letter opener.".

"**_20 years_**?! Why so many? I don't recall any of this and you're only older than me by a year!".

"Elementary, my dear Murray." the turtle started grimly, despite the hidden reference. "The murder had turned into a scandal of international proportions when the media found out about it. The victim was american, the culprit a lusitan and the crime occurred in french soil. It took some time before the authorities decided they would judge Lucinda in Portugal and, if found guilty, she would be sent to a juvenile facility in France until she turned 18. The remaining 19 years of sentence in a women's prison.".

Sly returned the photo to the mysterious figure. "You said she's innocent no matter what the court decided. So, who's the real murderer?".

After putting the only picture he owned of the teen back inside his jacket, the latter grabbed his pants' black fabric in anger.

"James McBuck _himself_.".

"... And how did you come to that conclusion? You seem to know an awful lot of details about this case..." Bentley inquired. He was finding this situation quite suspicious even if there were facts he recognized.

No One took a deep breath as the unholy thoughts left his mind. "It's all thanks to Private Detective Cornelia Grey... Yes, Sly, _that_ Cornelia Grey. I, by chance, crossed paths with the rabbit in Paris when I, clearly disguised, was trying to find something that could show people who was the culprit. Apparently, so was Miss Grey because she looking around the crime scene. It wasn't easy, but she eventually saw I was trustworthy after I explained my intentions. Detective Cornelia had been anonymously hired to investigate the murder.".

"Do you have any idea of who might had hired her?" was the grey creature's intervention.

A shrug was his reply.

"And what did Miss Cornelia find out in her investigation?" was the hippo's turn.

Tiredly, the faceless young man scratched his hidden neck. "A _bigger_ mess than I could ever imagine. For starters, Sarah Weasley wasn't the simple pretty-face secretary everyone believed she was. In reality, the petite weasel was an undercover agent from the CIA. The agency found the growth of James McBuck's company... _too_ abrupt, therefore Miss _I-don't-know-what-her-real-name-is _had to find out if he was into some illegal business or not. Turns out he and his older brother and partner, William McBuck, have been in a long-term relationship with a spice shipping baron who is _also_ a member of a _certain_ evil organization.".

"**_Klaww Gang_**." the three completed in unison.

"_Bull's eye_. However, the soap opera isn't over. Miss Grey discovered the CIA agent had gathered enough information about the deer brothers' secret crimes to send them _both_ to prison for life, if they survive death penalty. That was one of the reasons Weasley was killed.".

"That's a bit odd. If they could afford the secrecy, why did James McBuck dirty his own hands?" the reptilian wisely noted.

"Because that's the other reason. He was in love with Sarah. And when he found who she really was... well, you know the catch.".

"And the information...?" Sly curiously wondered.

"Jimmy-boy found it and gave it to his more responsible brother to destroy it for him... which he didn't. You see, Willy was tired of being always in second place in life due to his better-looking younger brother, so he divided the intelligence in 7 CDs that he then handed to 7 different Klaww people across the globe.".

"He's going to sacrifice one of his own blood." the technician realized with disgust. His family was all he had and yet there were monsters that only saw it as a pawn to satisfy their interests. It made him sick.

"Power can chance us, lead us to crave for more. Just like Clockwerk did.".

"Have you gotten any CD already?" inquired the great herbivorous.

Not giving a straight answer, Noah fished out his plastic case from the jacket and hold it for everyone to see. "This is the 4th one I have collected, greetings from Mr. Hawkins." he proudly declared before retrieving the case to its earlier spot.

"So it was _you_ who broke into his private office!" the raccoon playfully incriminated the black-dressed thief. "Were you the one that drove the guards away from their posts too?".

"_Maybe~_".

"Then you were also responsible for disabling the office's security, weren't you? I must admit, I'm impressed." the computer genius sincerely complimented.

"**_Oh_**... you think I hacked it? _Pfft_! As if... I used a device I bought from this, not that cheap but worthy, guy named '_Black Baron_' at ThiefNet. My technology know-how can only go so far." he confessed.

"_Fascinating_... An invention able to hack the security system of a specific location and yet be simple enough for the average client to use. Bold and ingenious! Perhaps I could exchange some ideas with him...".

_**HUMPH!**_

"There's still one thing I don't understand." Murray returned to their original topic. "Lucinda is a normal girl, so how did she end up in that alley? Why was she seen as the murderer just like that?".

"... According to the voice recordings the police made once _Lulu _was interrogated by them, she was coming out of the grocery store, a favor she was doing to her older cousins, when the girl saw James and Sarah. She didn't recognize them and they were just walking side by side as a happy couple towards the alley. Since there weren't many people around at that time of the day, she figure they were going to use it to their... '_advantage'_." the mysterious young man used his fingers to represent air quotes, double meaning obviously implied. "However, Silva heard metallic bumps coming from them once she passed by, like trash cans being kicked. Shortly after, the deer came out from the alley madly running away and almost bumped into the cat in the process. Once he was gone, Lucinda got worried and went to the alley to check on the woman... the poor thing said she got nightmares from what she found there..." he added sadly.

"And they didn't believe her?".

No one shock his head. "No, they didn't. Then again, even if they did, the authorities wouldn't care. The girl was guilty before she went to court, the McBucks made sure of that for she had seen James' face and was the only eye witness there. The lawyer they got her was extremely bad, members of the jury and judges were bribed, the evidence was forged by professionals to make it believable and anything that dared to give a little hint of her innocence was either hid or destroyed. But the worst crime they committed against her had still to come...".

Bentley gulped in anticipation. "W-what did they do?".

"... They threatened her family and friends in case they had wanted to help her out. And..., for that reason, Lucinda da Silva wasn't paid a single visit in her short stay in imprisonment.".

"Short stay...? Like..." the hippo gasped with a hopeful expression. "... like she _got out_? _**They let her go**_?!".

Happiness wasn't what swam in Noah's white orbs, though.

"Only in a cheap coffin... ".

The Cooper Gang turned pale.

"From what Miss Grey got her hands on, we came to know Silva had became... _weak_ a couple of months after she had been sent to the facility. That made it easy for a serious pneumonia to attack her, which is something that people from her family can develop since they have frail lungs. The... treatments didn't work and... she _passed away_ months after she turned 18... The body wasn't reclaimed nor... did anyone went to see her at the funeral.".

A bone-chilling sullenness lingered between the four as the faceless figure's words sank in their mournful hearts.

**_BAM!_**

**_UGH!_**

"Murray... _pal_... thanks... for... _hug_..." the black-wearing young man whispered as he felt the air leave his lungs due to the crushing (albeit _kind_) gesture. "... _but_... I... see... _**sTaRs**_...".

"C'mon, big guy! Let the poor _boy_ breathe." the master thief requested, despite the amused grin on his face.

"_Oops_, sorry..." the mentioned fighter sheepishly apologized.

Once back on the floor, the victim wobbly sat on his chair at the same time he did his best to oxygenate his system. "I-It's fine... I'm feeling better... already...".

"My sincerest condolences for your loss, _Noah_." the technology expert paid his respect whilst he adjusted his glasses. "I hope you can gather what you need to end with those... _monsters_' rotten empire.".

"Thanks for your consideration, _Bentley_." the back-to-normal thief said with an invisible smile. "I'm planning doing just that_ this_ very year. Detective Cornelia has already sent me the needed evidence to prove Lucinda wasn't the murderer but actually James McBuck. Unfortunately, it has been almost a year since the last time I saw her for, until those two are caught, Miss Grey has to keep it low after they discovered she was investigating. The only thing left to do is get my hands in the remaining CDs, which I know who they are with.".

"But aren't you forgetting something? How are you going to present all that to the court and reopen the case if you don't have the Detective to do that? Even if you disguised yourself, wouldn't that ruin your credibility?" Sly pointed out the important detail with a raised eyebrow.

"_Yeah_... I'm aware of that... It's just that I have little faith in the '_law_' now, because they let Silva turn into those cursing deers' scapegoat. I haven't given up completely due to Detective Cornelia, she's one of the few examples that truly care about justice.".

"How about Miss Carmelita? She's always about that." the team's muscle suggested as he took his fallen chair.

The mysterious rescuer grumbled with doubt.

"I'm not sure... I have to see more of her in action to fully trust her morality. Although, I _do_ find her arresting record amazing, specially when I hear how difficult it is for women in that area to prove themselves. They just don't want to give them an opportunity." he sighed.

"_Ooohh_, you don't have to try a lot. After what you did tonight, you're on her naughty list for eternity, no need whatsoever to check it twice." the mammal jested with a nostalgic smile, memory going back to the first time he met the lovely vixen.

**_COUGH!_**

"Speaking of_ tonight_..." the green master planner reminded. "... since I believe everything is officially settled in our deal...". The other three agreed through a simple 'yes'. "... I think it's better for you to get your belongings before morning comes. To make it faster, Murray can accompany you. However you can't use the van, so I hope your hiding spot is not far from here."

"**_Oh, yeah_**!" the mentioned herbivorous and the shorter temporary partner shouted while _hi-fiving_ each other, not minding the walk awaiting them.

"During the day, we'll make preparations for the quick journey and then rest for a couple of hours. We are going to need it. By night time, we leave Cairo behind. You're dismissed."

"_**Sir, yes, sir**_!".

**_BAM!_**

_**SIGH.**_

"Have I made the right decision? I don't think the doors can survive this treatment for long...".

"_Hehehe_... Don't worry, Bentley. The big guy will be fine, even if Noah didn't tell us the whole story.".

Getting down from the bed to the old wooden floor, the turtle produced a pen and continued his list of needed supplies. "So, you have noticed too, Sly? How he didn't explain his connection to the girl?".

"Yes... Lucinda was just a teen. I saw it in the photo. Maybe she met him without knowing who he really was... Understandably, he seems to disguise himself a lot, so it doesn't sound that unlikely. At least, he's a good guy, I mean, who would have thought the feared _demon_ thief was trying to help a deceased little girl?".

Pausing to stare at the closed door, the reptilian took a deep breath as skepticism invaded his gut. Something was fishy about this...

"We shall see, _mon frère*_, we shall see...".

* * *

**Merci = Thanks**

**Merci beaucoup = Thanks a lot**

**Pas de problème = No problem**

**Mon ami = My friend**

**Mon frère = My brother**

**Tries to write a shorter chapter... writes the longest chapter she ever wrote her whole life... FAIL.**

**Oh, well, more for you guys XD**

**Quick update: I've reached that state in which I won't write for months. College is around the corner and I just... can't. I hope it's fine. On the other hand, keep supporting the amazing fics hidden in this franchise!**

**Review or message, if you please. T****ell me your constructive opinion! Forgive me for any spelling/grammar mistake you may find.**

**See you next time!**


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